Census-designated place · North Dakota
White Shield, North Dakota
White Shield, census-designated place, in McLean County, North Dakota. White Shield had 363 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 246 (±68). GEOID 3885660.
Residents, 2020 Census
363
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 246 ±68
Median household income
$68,750
±$6,900 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $76,657
Median home value
not published
North Dakota: $249,900
Median gross rent
$811
±$149 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $954
Where is White Shield and what county is it in?
White Shield is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in McLean County, North Dakota. It covers 3.8 square miles of land, 96 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 White Shield, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 363 residents in White Shield, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 246 (±68).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; White Shield is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | White Shield | McLean County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 246 ±68 | 9,823 | no clear change |
| Households | 78 ±20 | 4,377 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.15 ±0.71 | 2.20 | +0.94 |
| Housing units | 103 ±22 | 5,807 | 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 White Shield?
The median resident of White Shield is 33.2 years old; 29.3% are under 18 and 19.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 88.6%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 3.7%.
| Measure | White Shield | McLean County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.2 ±4.9 | 47.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 29.3% ±7.8 pts | 21.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.1% ±7.4 pts | 26.3% | – |
| Male | 51.2% ±7.4 pts | 51.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.4% ±3.0 pts | 2.0% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 2.0% ±2.0 pts | 88.1% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.9 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.7% ±4.0 pts | 1.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 88.6% ±6.8 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.8% ±4.0 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.8% ±3.0 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.3% ±5.3 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 13.1% ±7.8 pts | 9.1% | – |
| With a disability | 21.7% ±8.5 pts | 12.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.2% ±4.0 pts | 4.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.6% ±6.3 pts | 93.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 23.2% ±10.7 pts | 26.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.3% ±6.6 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.6% ±5.8 pts | 93.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±9.8 pts | 1.7% | – |
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 White Shield earn?
Half of White Shield's 78 households earn less than $68,750 a year (±$6,900), against $83,583 in McLean County and $76,657 in North Dakota. In 2015-2019 the median was $55,381 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $13,369 after inflation.
| Measure | White Shield | McLean County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,750 ±$6,900 | $83,583 | +$13,369 |
| Mean household income | $85,623 ±$22,595 | $102,353 | – |
| Per capita income | $27,876 ±$9,142 | $45,317 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 29.3% ±19.3 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 41.7% ±36.7 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 7.7% ±5.8 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 87.2% ±9.0 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 79.5% ±13.5 pts | 84.7% | – |
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 White Shield?
Owners occupy 48.7% of White Shield's occupied homes and renters 51.3%. The median renter pays $811 a month including utilities.
| Measure | White Shield | McLean County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $811 ±$149 | $784 | +$226 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 15.0% ±17.2 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 48.7% ±16.2 pts | 84.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 51.3% ±16.2 pts | 15.8% | – |
| Housing units | 103 ±22 | 5,807 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±42.2 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 13.0% ±12.5 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 69.9% ±12.0 pts | 83.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 8.7% ±6.4 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 5.8% ±5.6 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 23.3% ±10.3 pts | 15.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 5.8% ±7.6 pts | 13.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.4% ±7.4 pts | 3.3% | – |
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 do people in White Shield work and get to work?
56.8% of White Shield's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.1 minutes.
| Measure | White Shield | McLean County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 50.8% ±11.9 pts | 58.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% ±5.0 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 56.8% ±14.0 pts | 74.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 29.5% ±14.6 pts | 11.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±24.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 3.4% ±4.8 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.2% ±10.7 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.1 min ±4.8 | 24.4 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 White Shield?
No census tract lies mostly in White Shield; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9401McLean County | 836 | $71,000 |
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 White Shield) · Census block assignment files
How does White Shield compare with other places in North Dakota?
White Shield 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.
White Shield's figures with every place in North Dakota (CSV)
Every place in North Dakota, sortable · Compare White Shield 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 White Shield?
25 of the 55 figures for White Shield 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 White Shield 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.