City · North Dakota
Rugby, North Dakota
Rugby, city, in Pierce County, North Dakota. Rugby had 2,412 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,509 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,481 (±214). GEOID 3868860.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,412
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,509 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,481 ±214
Median household income
$50,365
±$10,908 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $76,657
Median home value
$131,800
±$36,137 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $249,900
Median gross rent
$853
±$18 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $954
Where is Rugby and what county is it in?
Rugby is a city in Pierce County, North Dakota. It covers 2.3 square miles of land, 1,098 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Rugby, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,412 people lived in Rugby on July 1, 2025, down 3.9% since 2020, while North Dakota grew 2.6%. The 2020 Census counted 2,509 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,481 (±214).
| Measure | Rugby | Pierce County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,481 ±214 | 3,928 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,237 ±115 | 1,854 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.88 ±0.18 | 2.04 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,356 ±125 | 2,042 | −193 |
Rugby's population since 2000
From 2,939 in 2000 to 2,412 in 2025: down 17.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Rugby as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Rugby?
The median resident of Rugby is 40.1 years old; 18.4% are under 18 and 25.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.2%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 6.6%.
| Measure | Rugby | Pierce County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.1 ±4.0 | 45.1 | −8.4 |
| Under 18 years | 18.4% ±4.5 pts | 20.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 25.4% ±4.0 pts | 26.4% | – |
| Male | 48.2% ±3.0 pts | 50.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.9% ±1.3 pts | 0.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 89.2% ±4.3 pts | 90.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 6.6% ±3.4 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.5% ±2.1 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.9% ±0.7 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.8% ±2.8 pts | 8.4% | – |
| With a disability | 10.3% ±3.0 pts | 9.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.9% ±4.0 pts | 7.8% | +5.4 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.1% ±3.1 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 30.3% ±5.4 pts | 28.2% | +8.6 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.4% ±3.6 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 83.4% ±4.9 pts | 85.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.8% ±0.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Rugby earn?
Half of Rugby's 1,237 households earn less than $50,365 a year (±$10,908), against $59,365 in Pierce County and $76,657 in North Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $57,291 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 13.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Rugby | Pierce County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,365 ±$10,908 | $59,365 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $75,329 ±$8,253 | $87,923 | – |
| Per capita income | $39,885 ±$4,130 | $41,898 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 13.0% ±5.3 pts | 10.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 20.2% ±14.4 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.4% ±4.0 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 90.9% ±3.6 pts | 92.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.0% ±3.9 pts | 89.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Rugby?
Owners occupy 74.3% of Rugby's occupied homes and renters 25.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $131,800 by its owner (±$36,137). The median renter pays $853 a month including utilities, and 40.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Rugby | Pierce County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $131,800 ±$36,137 | $147,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $853 ±$18 | $850 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 40.8% ±20.4 pts | 39.2% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,177 ±$127 | $1,252 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.3% ±7.2 pts | 81.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.7% ±7.2 pts | 18.4% | – |
| Housing units | 1,356 ±125 | 2,042 | −193 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 81.1% ±5.4 pts | 85.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.0% ±1.6 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.0% ±1.4 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 19.7% ±6.7 pts | 21.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.5% ±1.9 pts | 2.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Rugby work and get to work?
86.7% of Rugby's workers drive alone and 5.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 11.4 minutes.
| Measure | Rugby | Pierce County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.2% ±4.2 pts | 60.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 86.7% ±4.7 pts | 81.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.9% ±3.5 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 2.6% ±2.3 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.4% ±3.1 pts | 10.2% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 11.4 min ±2.7 | 11.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Rugby?
No census tract lies mostly in Rugby; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9562Pierce County | 2,638 | $59,343 |
| Tract 9561Pierce County | 1,290 | $59,688 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Rugby) · Census block assignment files
How does Rugby compare with other places in North Dakota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Rugby is the 7,020th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 20th-most populous of 355 in North Dakota.
Rugby ranks 59th of 64 places in North Dakota with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 20th | 355 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 50th | 62 |
| Residents per square mile | 28th | 67 |
| Median household income | 59th | 64 |
| Per capita income | 33rd | 67 |
| Median home value | 53rd | 59 |
| Median gross rent | 27th | 56 |
| Poverty rate | 17th | 46 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25th | 65 |
| Median age | 23rd | 67 |
| Owner-occupied share | 22nd | 64 |
| Work from home | 25th | 32 |
| Travel time to work | 53rd | 67 |
Rugby's figures with every place in North Dakota (CSV)
Every place in North Dakota, sortable · Compare Rugby with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Rugby?
20 of the 57 figures for Rugby on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Rugby are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Rugby.