City · North Dakota
Stanley, North Dakota
Stanley, city, in Mountrail County, North Dakota. Stanley had 2,181 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 8.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,321 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,097 (±309). GEOID 3875380.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,181
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,321 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,097 ±309
Median household income
$109,573
±$32,325 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $76,657
Median home value
$237,900
±$33,680 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $249,900
Median gross rent
$1,144
±$146 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $954
Where is Stanley and what county is it in?
Stanley is a city in Mountrail County, North Dakota. It covers 4.5 square miles of land, 515 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 Stanley, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,181 people lived in Stanley on July 1, 2025, down 8.1% since 2020, while North Dakota grew 2.6%. The 2020 Census counted 2,321 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,097 (±309).
| Measure | Stanley | Mountrail County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,097 ±309 | 9,507 | −558 |
| Households | 938 ±132 | 3,901 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.17 ±0.24 | 2.40 | −0.53 |
| Housing units | 1,100 ±129 | 5,099 | −179 |
Stanley's population since 2000
From 1,279 in 2000 to 2,181 in 2025: up 70.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Stanley 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 Stanley?
The median resident of Stanley is 34.8 years old; 22.4% are under 18 and 17.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 75.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 18.2%. 6.1% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Stanley | Mountrail County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.8 ±3.1 | 35.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.4% ±5.8 pts | 29.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.6% ±4.0 pts | 13.5% | – |
| Male | 56.6% ±4.4 pts | 51.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 18.2% ±7.6 pts | 8.6% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 75.3% ±7.3 pts | 56.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 4.1% ±2.5 pts | 28.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.8% ±1.8 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 6.1% ±4.0 pts | 4.4% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 19.6% ±6.4 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.4% ±3.3 pts | 5.7% | – |
| With a disability | 13.6% ±4.4 pts | 11.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 19.2% ±8.6 pts | 15.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 86.1% ±7.8 pts | 88.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 21.0% ±6.0 pts | 22.7% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.7% ±3.9 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.7% ±6.5 pts | 88.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.7% ±3.0 pts | 1.8% | – |
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 Stanley earn?
Half of Stanley's 938 households earn less than $109,573 a year (±$32,325), against $80,717 in Mountrail County and $76,657 in North Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $91,317 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Stanley | Mountrail County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $109,573 ±$32,325 | $80,717 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $113,904 ±$16,234 | $106,551 | – |
| Per capita income | $49,030 ±$7,939 | $42,599 | +$11,531 |
| People below the poverty line | 8.4% ±5.0 pts | 14.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 11.7% ±12.1 pts | 16.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 1.9% ±2.4 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.9% ±1.2 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 98.0% ±1.7 pts | 88.5% | – |
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 Stanley?
Owners occupy 60.8% of Stanley's occupied homes and renters 39.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $237,900 by its owner (±$33,680). The median renter pays $1,144 a month including utilities, and 18.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Stanley | Mountrail County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $237,900 ±$33,680 | $232,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,144 ±$146 | $950 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 18.7% ±11.6 pts | 20.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,525 ±$692 | $1,689 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 60.8% ±8.5 pts | 61.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 39.2% ±8.5 pts | 38.5% | – |
| Housing units | 1,100 ±129 | 5,099 | −179 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 6.4% ±6.5 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 7.3% ±8.8 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 54.7% ±11.0 pts | 56.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 6.3% ±4.5 pts | 19.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 40.5% ±9.8 pts | 30.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 7.5% ±4.4 pts | 10.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.5% ±3.3 pts | 4.3% | – |
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 many new homes is Stanley building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Stanley in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.1 across North Dakota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Stanley work and get to work?
72.4% of Stanley's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 17.1 minutes.
| Measure | Stanley | Mountrail County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 70.6% ±6.4 pts | 63.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.3% ±1.6 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.4% ±8.5 pts | 76.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 21.2% ±8.2 pts | 14.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.8% ±4.1 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.1 min ±3.6 | 19.1 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 Stanley?
No census tract lies mostly in Stanley; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9552Mountrail County | 4,770 | $106,162 |
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 Stanley) · Census block assignment files
How does Stanley compare with other places in North Dakota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Stanley is the 7,385th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 24th-most populous of 355 in North Dakota.
Stanley ranks 13th 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 | 24th | 355 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 62nd | 62 |
| Residents per square mile | 48th | 67 |
| Median household income | 13th | 64 |
| Per capita income | 7th | 67 |
| Median home value | 28th | 59 |
| Median gross rent | 10th | 56 |
| Poverty rate | 34th | 46 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56th | 65 |
| Median age | 39th | 67 |
| Owner-occupied share | 43rd | 64 |
| Travel time to work | 29th | 67 |
Stanley's figures with every place in North Dakota (CSV)
Every place in North Dakota, sortable · Compare Stanley 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 Stanley?
17 of the 57 figures for Stanley 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 Stanley 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 Stanley.