Data / Rankings / Housing units authorized by building permits / Counties in North Dakota

Counties in North Dakota by housing units authorized by building permits, 2025

Cass County had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 53 counties in 2025, at 1,154. Towner County had the lowest, at 0. The median was 4. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest1,154Cass County
Lowest0Towner County
Median453 counties

All counties, 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Cass CountyCass County: 1,154 count1,154Burleigh CountyBurleigh County: 303 count303Grand Forks CountyGrand Forks County: 186 count186Williams CountyWilliams County: 145 count145Ward CountyWard County: 128 count128Morton CountyMorton County: 100 count100Stark CountyStark County: 65 count65Richland CountyRichland County: 44 count44McKenzie CountyMcKenzie County: 40 count40McLean CountyMcLean County: 40 count40Emmons CountyEmmons County: 28 count28Stutsman CountyStutsman County: 27 count27Mountrail CountyMountrail County: 23 count23Dickey CountyDickey County: 21 count21Dunn CountyDunn County: 18 count18Bottineau CountyBottineau County: 14 count14McHenry CountyMcHenry County: 12 count12Bowman CountyBowman County: 8 count8Grant CountyGrant County: 8 count8Oliver CountyOliver County: 8 count8Traill CountyTraill County: 7 count7Burke CountyBurke County: 6 count6Ramsey CountyRamsey County: 6 count6Billings CountyBillings County: 5 count5Walsh CountyWalsh County: 5 count5Barnes CountyBarnes County: 4 count4Nelson CountyNelson County: 4 count4Sheridan CountySheridan County: 4 count4Mercer CountyMercer County: 3 count3Sargent CountySargent County: 3 count3Cavalier CountyCavalier County: 2 count2Foster CountyFoster County: 2 count2Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 2 count2LaMoure CountyLaMoure County: 2 count2Pembina CountyPembina County: 2 count2Pierce CountyPierce County: 2 count2Ransom CountyRansom County: 2 count2Steele CountySteele County: 2 count2Adams CountyAdams County: 1 count1Logan CountyLogan County: 1 count1McIntosh CountyMcIntosh County: 1 count1Renville CountyRenville County: 1 count1Wells CountyWells County: 1 count1Benson CountyBenson County: 0 count0Divide CountyDivide County: 0 count0Eddy CountyEddy County: 0 count0Griggs CountyGriggs County: 0 count0Hettinger CountyHettinger County: 0 count0Kidder CountyKidder County: 0 count0Rolette CountyRolette County: 0 count0Sioux CountySioux County: 0 count0Slope CountySlope County: 0 count0Towner CountyTowner County: 0 count0
count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Full ranking

RankCounties2025
count		Change on 2024
1Cass County Estimated1,154-5.6%
2Burleigh County Estimated303+17.4%
3Grand Forks County Estimated186+2.2%
4Williams County Estimated145+61.1%
5Ward County Estimated128-1.5%
6Morton County Estimated100+14.9%
7Stark County Estimated65+140.7%
8Richland County Estimated44+12.8%
9McKenzie County Estimated40+5.3%
9McLean County Estimated40-7%
11Emmons County Estimated28+7.7%
12Stutsman County Estimated27+28.6%
13Mountrail County Estimated23-20.7%
14Dickey County Estimated21+950%
15Dunn County Estimated18-10%
16Bottineau County Estimated14+27.3%
17McHenry County Estimated12+9.1%
18Bowman County Estimated8+300%
18Grant County Estimated8n/a
18Oliver County Estimated8+14.3%
21Traill County Estimated7+133.3%
22Burke County Estimated6n/a
22Ramsey County Estimated60%
24Billings County Estimated5-28.6%
24Walsh County Estimated5-28.6%
26Barnes County Estimated4+33.3%
26Nelson County Estimated4+33.3%
26Sheridan County Estimated4-33.3%
29Mercer County Estimated3-50%
29Sargent County Estimated30%
31Cavalier County Estimated20%
31Foster County Estimated2-33.3%
31Golden Valley County Estimated2-66.7%
31LaMoure County Estimated2+100%
31Pembina County Estimated2-50%
31Pierce County Estimated20%
31Ransom County Estimated2-33.3%
31Steele County Estimated2+100%
39Adams County Estimated10%
39Logan County Estimated10%
39McIntosh County Estimated10%
39Renville County Estimated1n/a
39Wells County Estimated10%
44Benson County Estimated0-100%
44Divide County Estimated0n/a
44Eddy County Estimated0n/a
44Griggs County Estimated0n/a
44Hettinger County Estimated0n/a
44Kidder County Estimated0-100%
44Rolette County Estimated0n/a
44Sioux County Estimated0n/a
44Slope County Estimated0n/a
44Towner County Estimated0n/a

Other periods

About this ranking

Annual number of new privately owned housing units authorized by building permits, from the US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.

Final annual county estimates include imputation for missing reports. Counts housing units, not buildings, starts, completions or sales. Covers permit-issuing areas; areas where permits are not required are outside the survey. Not seasonally adjusted or expressed as an annualized monthly rate. The total is the sum of units in the four published structure categories; inputs are retained.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual county estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/County/co2025a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

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Questions

Which county has the highest housing units authorized by building permits?

Cass County, with 1,154 in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest housing units authorized by building permits?

Towner County, with 0 in 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey: final annual county estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Housing units authorized by building permits: other rankings

Counties in North Dakota: more rankings