August 2, 2001

Census Shows Growth in Non-Family Households

There were 257,152 households in North Dakota in 2000. According to the recent Population Bulletin released from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University, a majority of these households (53.4 percent) were married couple families. Approximately 45 percent of all married couples had children in 2000, less than the 50.4 percent in 1990.

"One of the most significant changes highlighted in the new Census numbers is that of household composition. In North Dakota, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of the households were married-couple families in 1990; now it’s 53 percent, " said Richard Rathge, Director of the State Data Center.

The number of married couple families in North Dakota declined 3.5 percent to 137,433 (down from 142,374) between 1990 and 2000. In contrast, non-family households (one person living alone or two or more persons living together but not related) rose 22 percent between 1990 and 2000 and 50 percent between 1980 and 2000. "The dramatic shift in non-family households has important implications for our state. Most non-family households are people living by themselves. Nearly 40 percent of those living alone are elderly, the vast majority of whom are women. This places a significant strain on service providers," said Rathge.

North Dakota had the 19th highest proportion of married-couple families in 2000. In Utah, 63 percent of total households were married-couples, placing it first in the nation, followed by Idaho at 59 percent and New Hampshire at 55 percent.

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Source: Richard Rathge, (701) 231-8621, richard_rathge@ndsu.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu

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