County · North Dakota

Ward County, North Dakota

Ward County, North Dakota. Ward County had 68,233 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.4% since 2020, while North Dakota grew 2.6%. It holds 72 places (12 cities, villages and boroughs, 56 towns and townships and 4 census-designated) and 16 census tracts. GEOID 38101.

Ward County is one of the 3 counties of the Minot, ND metropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

68,233

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 69,919 · ACS 2020-2024: 68,973

Median household income

$78,238

±$3,810 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $76,657

Median home value

$267,100

±$9,995 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $249,900

Median gross rent

$1,048

±$36 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $954

How many people live in Ward County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 69,919 residents in Ward County. The Census Bureau estimates 68,233 for July 1, 2025, down 2.4% since 2020, while North Dakota grew 2.6%. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 68,973 over 2,013 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −633 (69,287)
2021→2022 −535 (68,752)
2022→2023 −524 (68,228)
2023→2024 −42 (68,186)
2024→2025 +47 (68,233)

Ward County in North Dakota. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Ward County	North Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	68,973	784,841	+161
Households	28,568±541	331,063	no clear change
Average household size	2.35±0.04	2.28	no clear change
Housing units	32,487±68	377,281	−495

Ward County's population since 2000

From 58,795 in 2000 to 68,233 in 2025: up 16.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. 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.

2000 Census 58,795
2005 (estimate) 57,878
2010 Census 61,675
2015 (estimate) 71,409
2020 Census 69,919
2025 (estimate) 68,233

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); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Ward County?

Ward County holds 72 places: 12 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places), 56 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 4 census-designated places. The largest is Minot with 47,308 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Ward County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Minot	city	48,377	47,791±34	$73,219	$257,100	11.1%	100%
Minot AFB	CDP	5,017	4,878±297	$62,500	not published	1.2%	100%
Tatman Township	township	2,778	2,730±17	$61,216	not published	2.4%	100%
Waterford Township	township	2,474	2,302±290	$69,485	not published	1.5%	100%
Nedrose Township	township	2,334	2,196±636	$123,967	$342,600	0.7%	100%
Harrison TownshipGEOID 3810135700	township	1,759	2,189±523	$122,361	$474,800	5.1%	100%
Surrey	city	1,357	1,721±287	$106,438	$315,800	1.4%	100%
Burlington	city	1,291	1,067±213	$77,708	$243,500	3.0%	100%
Sundre Township	township	1,087	727±165	$107,218	$329,900	1.4%	100%
Kenmare	city	961	1,002±188	$64,077	$115,500	8.0%	100%
Afton TownshipGEOID 3810100740	township	799	800±246	$151,875	$533,700	0.3%	100%
Berthold	city	490	415±113	$96,000	$180,000	2.4%	100%
Kirkelie TownshipGEOID 3810143020	township	461	344±142	$117,863	$231,300	10.3%	100%
Eureka TownshipGEOID 3810124980	township	415	109±85	not published	not published	2.8%	100%
Burlington TownshipGEOID 3810110980	township	398	240±116	$106,985	$405,600	17.5%	100%
Surrey TownshipGEOID 3810177220	township	363	395±105	$132,500	$321,900	1.0%	100%
Sawyer	city	319	353±115	$76,250	$210,700	9.0%	100%
New Prairie TownshipGEOID 3810156580	township	295	911±491	$82,708	$347,800	1.3%	100%
Sawyer Township	township	295	241±63	$91,250	$458,300	0.8%	100%
LoganGEOID 3847540	CDP	247	70±45	$75,139	$206,800	0.0%	100%
Des LacsGEOID 3819300	city	185	163±55	$70,000	$130,000	1.2%	100%
Freedom TownshipGEOID 3810128460	township	171	121±52	not published	$562,500	2.5%	100%
McKinley TownshipGEOID 3810149420	township	152	155±132	$58,594	$584,800	0.0%	100%
RuthvilleGEOID 3869300	CDP	151	104±72	$48,077	$13,900	38.4%	100%
MakotiGEOID 3849820	city	148	84±53	$75,750	$84,500	0.0%	100%
CarpioGEOID 3812260	city	144	184±57	$68,750	$130,600	3.3%	100%
Des Lacs TownshipGEOID 3810119340	township	136	158±111	not published	$420,500	0.0%	100%
Willis TownshipGEOID 3810186180	township	136	155±84	$147,500	$446,900	0.0%	100%
Burt TownshipGEOID 3810111100	township	134	60±85	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Foxholm TownshipGEOID 3810128020	township	121	39±33	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Kenmare TownshipGEOID 3810142060	township	116	212±150	$94,531	$337,500	0.0%	100%
RyderGEOID 3869460	city	108	100±47	$40,313	$53,300	32.0%	100%
Gasman TownshipGEOID 3810129620	township	105	48±28	not published	$190,600	8.3%	100%
DouglasGEOID 3820020	city	93	94±65	$60,000	$55,000	2.1%	100%
Rolling Green TownshipGEOID 3810167860	township	89	69±76	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Berthold TownshipGEOID 3810106500	township	85	101±85	$94,141	$232,800	0.0%	100%
Rice Lake TownshipGEOID 3810166420	township	79	40±41	not published	$275,000	15.0%	100%
Margaret TownshipGEOID 3810150700	township	76	98±67	not published	$232,300	0.0%	100%
Denmark TownshipGEOID 3810119140	township	76	17±13	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
DonnybrookGEOID 3819900	city	75	74±37	not published	$118,800	0.0%	100%
Maryland TownshipGEOID 3810151220	township	71	33±17	$93,250	$352,900	0.0%	100%
Iota Flat TownshipGEOID 3810140140	township	69	50±29	$169,167	$185,000	0.0%	100%
Passport TownshipGEOID 3810161060	township	66	0±10	not published	not published	–	100%
Newman TownshipGEOID 3810156500	township	64	122±89	$99,375	not published	1.6%	100%
Hilton TownshipGEOID 3810138260	township	60	107±70	$163,333	not published	0.0%	100%
Vang TownshipGEOID 3810181380	township	58	0±10	not published	not published	–	100%
St. Marys TownshipGEOID 3810170100	township	57	6±12	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
FoxholmGEOID 3827980	CDP	56	34±32	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Elmdale TownshipGEOID 3810123660	township	56	62±62	$120,313	$412,500	6.5%	100%
Mandan TownshipGEOID 3810149940	township	56	38±40	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Torning TownshipGEOID 3810179260	township	54	30±18	$74,583	not published	0.0%	100%
Carpio TownshipGEOID 3810112300	township	51	40±37	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Orlien TownshipGEOID 3810159740	township	51	23±18	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Brillian TownshipGEOID 3810109380	township	48	117±123	not published	$432,500	0.0%	100%
Mayland TownshipGEOID 3810151460	township	48	77±65	$86,500	not published	0.0%	100%
Baden TownshipGEOID 3810104140	township	47	18±15	not published	$239,300	0.0%	100%
Ryder TownshipGEOID 3810169500	township	44	52±62	$100,893	not published	0.0%	100%
Shealy TownshipGEOID 3810172075	township	44	19±19	not published	$162,500	0.0%	100%
Hiddenwood TownshipGEOID 3810137860	township	44	11±17	not published	not published	9.1%	100%
Lund TownshipGEOID 3810148500	township	41	109±111	$106,500	not published	0.0%	100%
Greenbush TownshipGEOID 3810133100	township	41	14±11	$129,167	not published	0.0%	100%
Anna TownshipGEOID 3810102420	township	39	51±33	$100,417	not published	0.0%	100%
Tolgen TownshipGEOID 3810179100	township	38	11±16	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Carbondale TownshipGEOID 3810112100	township	37	40±34	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Ree TownshipGEOID 3810165820	township	35	5±7	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Spencer TownshipGEOID 3810174580	township	31	42±27	$80,750	$165,600	0.0%	100%
Cameron TownshipGEOID 3810111740	township	26	285±355	$250,000 or more	$438,200	2.1%	100%
Spring Lake TownshipGEOID 3810175060	township	23	2±3	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Greely TownshipGEOID 3810132980	township	21	7±13	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Sauk Prairie TownshipGEOID 3810170860	township	20	39±31	$96,563	$281,300	0.0%	100%
Linton TownshipGEOID 3810147020	township	15	21±16	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Evergreen TownshipGEOID 3810125060	township	12	0±10	not published	not published	–	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Ward County?

The median resident of Ward County is 33.6 years old; 24.1% are under 18 and 14.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 80.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.2%. 3.8% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Ward County	North Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	33.6±0.2	35.9	+2.0
Under 18 years	24.1%	23.5%	–
65 years and over	14.0%±0.1 pts	16.5%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	7.2%	4.7%	+1.1 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	80.4%±0.4 pts	81.7%	−2.4 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	3.9%±0.4 pts	3.3%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	1.5%±0.2 pts	1.6%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	1.6%±0.3 pts	4.2%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.1%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	5.0%±0.6 pts	4.0%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.4%±0.3 pts	0.3%	–
Born outside the United States	3.8%±0.6 pts	4.7%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	5.5%±0.8 pts	6.7%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	10.8%±1.1 pts	7.1%	–
With a disability	14.3%±1.3 pts	12.0%	–
No health insurance coverage	6.4%±1.0 pts	6.5%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	94.8%±1.0 pts	94.0%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	29.6%±2.1 pts	32.7%	no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	9.3%±1.3 pts	9.7%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	6.0%±1.3 pts	4.2%	–

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 Ward County earn?

Half of Ward County's 28,568 households earn less than $78,238 a year (±$3,810), against $76,657 in North Dakota. In 2015-2019 the median was $84,759 in 2024 dollars, so it fell by $6,521 after inflation. 8.6% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Ward County	North Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$78,238±$3,810	$76,657	−$6,521
Mean household income	$102,307±$4,824	$101,793	–
Per capita income	$43,089±$2,085	$43,389	no clear change
People below the poverty line	8.6%±1.3 pts	10.8%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	6.9%±2.0 pts	11.1%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	7.1%±1.5 pts	6.6%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	90.6%±1.4 pts	88.7%	–

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 Ward County?

Owners occupy 60.8% of Ward County's occupied homes and renters 39.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $267,100 by its owner (±$9,995). The median renter pays $1,048 a month including utilities, and 31.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Ward County	North Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$267,100±$9,995	$249,900	no clear change
Median gross rent	$1,048±$36	$954	−$159
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	31.3%±4.2 pts	31.1%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,881±$47	$1,762	–
Owner-occupied homes	60.8%±2.3 pts	62.9%	no clear change
Housing units	32,487±68	377,281	−495
Homeowner vacancy rate	3.2%±1.7 pts	1.2%	–
Rental vacancy rate	5.8%±2.1 pts	8.3%	–
Single-family detached homes	53.5%±1.8 pts	56.7%	–
Mobile homes	8.2%±1.3 pts	6.6%	–
Built 2020 or later	1.6%±0.6 pts	1.8%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	9.8%±1.5 pts	11.5%	–

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 Ward County building?

Builders took permits for 128 new housing units across Ward County in 2025 (65 single-family), 1.9 per 1,000 residents.

2019 79 units
2020 160 units
2021 193 units
2022 164 units
2023 120 units
2024 130 units
2025 128 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Ward County get to work?

78.4% of Ward County's workers drive alone and 5.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.6%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Ward County	North Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	70.0%±1.3 pts	68.6%	–
Unemployment rate	3.6%±0.8 pts	2.8%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	78.4%±2.2 pts	77.9%	–
Carpooled	11.8%±1.7 pts	8.8%	–
Public transportation	0.3%±0.3 pts	0.3%	–
Walked	2.0%±0.6 pts	3.2%	–
Worked from home	5.7%±1.0 pts	8.1%	+2.4 pts
Mean travel time to work	19.3 min±1.2	17.9 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 are Ward County's census tracts?

Ward County is divided into 16 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $44,974 (Tract 101) to $102,546 (Tract 105).

Census tracts of Ward County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 10138101010100	Minot	2,752	3,270±501	$44,974	$187,400	$741	24.6%
Tract 10238101010200	Minot (84%)	5,734	5,364±645	$84,731	$217,200	$1,137	7.8%
Tract 103.0138101010301	Minot (90%)	5,651	5,466±736	$73,994	$268,000	$1,085	7.4%
Tract 103.0238101010302	Minot (96%)	5,987	5,036±572	$101,538	$291,600	$645	3.2%
Tract 10438101010400	Minot (99%)	5,628	6,164±741	$97,021	$232,800	$1,150	9.5%
Tract 10538101010500	Minot (97%)	5,397	5,662±597	$102,546	$322,300	$1,065	3.9%
Tract 106.0138101010601	Minot (91%)	4,284	4,304±599	$53,573	$296,900	$1,077	11.6%
Tract 106.0238101010602	Minot (65%)	5,924	5,985±921	$73,509	$274,000	$910	20.5%
Tract 107.0138101010701	Minot (91%)	4,235	4,145±707	$74,677	$256,800	$737	14.1%
Tract 107.0238101010702	Minot (83%)	3,125	2,896±429	$66,495	$182,300	$980	15.5%
Tract 10838101010800	Surrey (9%)	4,916	4,759±434	$82,708	$328,000	$1,139	3.2%
Tract 109.0138101010901	Minot AFB	2,268	2,152±285	$77,000	not published	$1,484	1.3%
Tract 109.0238101010902	Minot AFB	2,749	2,726±192	$59,399	not published	$1,386	1.1%
Tract 11038101011000	Kenmare (19%)	1,984	1,951±217	$72,313	$147,600	$768	4.6%
Tract 11238101011200	Sawyer (8%)	3,731	3,796±526	$98,158	$327,500	$1,417	1.9%
Tract 11338101011300	Berthold (5%)	5,554	5,297±443	$91,528	$285,900	$1,112	3.7%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Ward County compare with North Dakota's other counties?

Ward County's rank among North Dakota's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	4th of 53
Growth 2020-2025	31st of 53
Residents per square mile	4th of 53
Median household income	18th of 53
Median home value	8th of 53
Median gross rent	5th of 53
Poverty rate	41st of 53
Bachelor's degree or higher	10th of 53
Median age	46th of 53

Every county in North Dakota

Source: PlainCities ranks 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 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 Ward County 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.