Census-designated place · North Dakota
Shell Valley, North Dakota
Shell Valley, census-designated place, in Rolette County, North Dakota. Shell Valley had 1,146 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,243 (±380). GEOID 3872250.
Residents, 2020 Census
1,146
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 1,243 ±380
Median household income
$46,786
±$44,592 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $76,657
Median home value
$90,800
±$62,946 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $249,900
Median gross rent
$428
±$27 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $954
Where is Shell Valley and what county is it in?
Shell Valley is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Rolette County, North Dakota. It covers 15.0 square miles of land, 76 residents per square mile in 2020.
Shell Valley lies mostly within Shell Valley Township, a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Shell Valley, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 1,146 residents in Shell Valley, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 1,243 (±380).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Shell Valley is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Shell Valley | Rolette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,243 ±380 | 11,924 | no clear change |
| Households | 352 ±105 | 3,769 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.53 ±0.75 | 3.13 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 393 ±105 | 4,588 | no clear change |
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 Shell Valley?
The median resident of Shell Valley is 27.0 years old; 34.9% are under 18 and 6.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 91.7%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 7.5%.
| Measure | Shell Valley | Rolette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 27.0 ±6.1 | 32.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 34.9% ±7.1 pts | 32.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 6.3% ±4.1 pts | 13.2% | – |
| Male | 51.9% ±6.6 pts | 49.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 1.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 7.5% ±6.3 pts | 18.2% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±1.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 91.7% ±7.4 pts | 75.5% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.8% ±1.3 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.6% ±4.3 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.3% ±4.0 pts | 4.7% | – |
| With a disability | 16.7% ±6.2 pts | 17.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 46.7% ±14.6 pts | 22.1% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 70.5% ±11.1 pts | 84.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.7% ±10.6 pts | 18.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.1% ±6.2 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.2% ±15.3 pts | 93.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.3% | – |
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 Shell Valley earn?
Shell Valley's median household income is published as $46,786 with a margin of ±$44,592, too wide to rely on.
| Measure | Shell Valley | Rolette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,786 ±$44,592 | $59,517 | – |
| Mean household income | $61,262 ±$16,349 | $76,772 | – |
| Per capita income | $18,190 ±$4,573 | $26,519 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 21.5% ±9.4 pts | 24.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 23.0% ±17.1 pts | 29.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 32.4% ±15.8 pts | 25.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 86.6% ±10.9 pts | 90.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.7% ±4.8 pts | 89.8% | – |
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 Shell Valley?
Owners occupy 59.9% of Shell Valley's occupied homes and renters 40.1%. The median renter pays $428 a month including utilities, and 36.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Shell Valley | Rolette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $90,800 ±$62,946 | $103,800 | – |
| Median gross rent | $428 ±$27 | $505 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.0% ±17.4 pts | 28.0% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $945 ±$364 | $1,318 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 59.9% ±12.3 pts | 62.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 40.1% ±12.3 pts | 37.2% | – |
| Housing units | 393 ±105 | 4,588 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±11.2 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.7% ±7.3 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 61.8% ±16.3 pts | 68.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 24.9% ±13.4 pts | 19.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 17.8% ±12.4 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 12.2% ±10.4 pts | 10.8% | – |
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 Shell Valley work and get to work?
70.1% of Shell Valley's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 17.9 minutes.
| Measure | Shell Valley | Rolette County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 51.3% ±12.3 pts | 52.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 9.8% ±11.3 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 70.1% ±17.7 pts | 75.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 21.2% ±15.0 pts | 16.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.4% ±6.7 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.9 min ±8.1 | 16.8 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 Shell Valley?
No census tract lies mostly in Shell Valley; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9418Rolette County | 5,005 | $72,500 |
| Tract 9519Rolette County | 1,389 | $67,083 |
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 Shell Valley) · Census block assignment files
How does Shell Valley compare with other places in North Dakota?
Shell Valley is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 54th | 67 |
| Residents per square mile | 62nd | 67 |
| Per capita income | 66th | 67 |
| Median gross rent | 55th | 56 |
| Poverty rate | 6th | 46 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 60th | 65 |
| Median age | 59th | 67 |
| Owner-occupied share | 45th | 64 |
| Travel time to work | 22nd | 67 |
Shell Valley's figures with every place in North Dakota (CSV)
Every place in North Dakota, sortable · Compare Shell Valley 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 Shell Valley?
25 of the 57 figures for Shell Valley 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 Shell Valley 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' school search.