North Dakota's Out-Migration Continues

NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

May 6, 1999

North Dakota's Population Decline Continues

North Dakota's out-migration of young people is continuing, and this loss of young adults is affecting the state's natural increase (births minus deaths), according to the latest Population Bulletin released from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University.

From April of 1990 to mid-1998, 30,242 more people moved out of North Dakota to other states than moved in from other states. That loss was slightly offset by an increase (7,481 people) in net foreign movement, which includes the movement of federal employees. Overall, the state's out-migration totaled roughly 24,000 people during the past nine years, says Richard Rathge, data center director.

"The net loss of people due to out-migration is an issue we need to address," Rathge says. "To put our migration loses in context, consider the fact that between 1990 and 1998, we compiled a net loss that is greater than the fifth largest city in North Dakota. Most of those who leave are young adults, thus we lose the children in those families along with potential new births. This is reflected in the rapidly declining birth rate in our state."

During the 1990-1998 time frame, the state's births outpaced its deaths by 22,983 people, resulting in an overall population decrease from out-migration of 0.1 percent. However, roughly more than half of North Dakota's counties registered a greater number of deaths than births for the period. In addition, 91 percent of counties suffered net out-migration. This has resulted in only seven counties showing an increase in population during this nine-year period.

Grand Forks County showed the largest losses in population due to out-migration during the period. Ward County has the second-largest domestic out-migration numbers (people moving to other U.S. locations), but due to a rather large natural increase there, the population remained fairly stable.

Cass, Sioux, Rolette, and Burleigh counties had the greatest percentage increases in population from April of 1990 to mid-1998. Cass and Burleigh counties showed natural increases as well as domestic in-migration. Sioux and Rolette counties had domestic out-migration but also had significantly higher birth rates during this period than at other times.

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Source: Richard Rathge (701) 231-8621

Editor: DeanHulse (701) 231-6136

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