April 4, 2002

Population Density Holds Steady in North Dakota, Increases Nationally

Population density in North Dakota remained unchanged between 1990 and 2000 at 9.3 persons per square mile, the fourth lowest density in the nation, according to the recent Population Bulletin released from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University.

Nationally, population density rose to 79.6 persons per square mile in 2000, up from 70.3 in 1990 and 64 in 1980. "One of the greatest challenges we have in North Dakota is distance. Of the 53 counties in the state, 35 are labeled frontier counties because they have fewer than 6 people per square mile. Yet each county is geographically quite large. For example, Slope County, our least populated county with 767 residents, encompasses 1,218 square miles, a land area larger than the state of Rhode Island," said Richard Rathge, director of the State Data Center.

While population density in North Dakota has been relatively stable over the past several decades, housing density has been rising steadily, reaching 4.2 housing units per square mile in 2000. Between 1990 and 2000, only six North Dakota counties showed an increase in population density. Slope and Billings counties, both located in the southwestern part of the state, had less than one person or housing unit per square mile in 2000.

###

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

Click here for a GIF version of this graphic. (32KB b&w text, map and graph)

Click here for a GIF version of this graphic. (50KB b&w text, map and graph)

Click here for a pdf version of both pages of this graphic. 
(162KB b&w text, map and table)