Counties in North Dakota by population density

Cass County had the highest population density of 53 counties in 2023, at 43.2 inhabitants per km². Slope County had the lowest, at 0.2 inhabitants per km². The median was 1.4 inhabitants per km² and the figure for North Dakota was 4.4 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest43.2Cass County
Lowest0.2Slope County
Median1.453 counties
North Dakota4.4History

All counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Cass CountyCass County: 43.2 inhabitants per km²43.2Burleigh CountyBurleigh County: 23.9 inhabitants per km²23.9Grand Forks CountyGrand Forks County: 19.6 inhabitants per km²19.6Ward CountyWard County: 13.1 inhabitants per km²13.1Stark CountyStark County: 9.6 inhabitants per km²9.6Williams CountyWilliams County: 7.3 inhabitants per km²7.3Morton CountyMorton County: 6.8 inhabitants per km²6.8Rolette CountyRolette County: 5 inhabitants per km²5Richland CountyRichland County: 4.5 inhabitants per km²4.5Ramsey CountyRamsey County: 3.7 inhabitants per km²3.7Stutsman CountyStutsman County: 3.7 inhabitants per km²3.7Traill CountyTraill County: 3.6 inhabitants per km²3.6Walsh CountyWalsh County: 3.1 inhabitants per km²3.1Mercer CountyMercer County: 3.1 inhabitants per km²3.1Barnes CountyBarnes County: 2.8 inhabitants per km²2.8Ransom CountyRansom County: 2.5 inhabitants per km²2.5Pembina CountyPembina County: 2.3 inhabitants per km²2.3Foster CountyFoster County: 2 inhabitants per km²2McKenzie CountyMcKenzie County: 2 inhabitants per km²2Mountrail CountyMountrail County: 2 inhabitants per km²2McLean CountyMcLean County: 1.8 inhabitants per km²1.8Sargent CountySargent County: 1.7 inhabitants per km²1.7Dickey CountyDickey County: 1.7 inhabitants per km²1.7Benson CountyBenson County: 1.6 inhabitants per km²1.6Pierce CountyPierce County: 1.5 inhabitants per km²1.5Bottineau CountyBottineau County: 1.5 inhabitants per km²1.5Eddy CountyEddy County: 1.4 inhabitants per km²1.4LaMoure CountyLaMoure County: 1.4 inhabitants per km²1.4Sioux CountySioux County: 1.3 inhabitants per km²1.3Griggs CountyGriggs County: 1.2 inhabitants per km²1.2Nelson CountyNelson County: 1.2 inhabitants per km²1.2Wells CountyWells County: 1.2 inhabitants per km²1.2McHenry CountyMcHenry County: 1.1 inhabitants per km²1.1Renville CountyRenville County: 1 inhabitants per km²1Oliver CountyOliver County: 1 inhabitants per km²1McIntosh CountyMcIntosh County: 1 inhabitants per km²1Steele CountySteele County: 1 inhabitants per km²1Bowman CountyBowman County: 0.9 inhabitants per km²0.9Cavalier CountyCavalier County: 0.9 inhabitants per km²0.9Adams CountyAdams County: 0.9 inhabitants per km²0.9Hettinger CountyHettinger County: 0.8 inhabitants per km²0.8Emmons CountyEmmons County: 0.8 inhabitants per km²0.8Dunn CountyDunn County: 0.8 inhabitants per km²0.8Towner CountyTowner County: 0.8 inhabitants per km²0.8Burke CountyBurke County: 0.7 inhabitants per km²0.7Logan CountyLogan County: 0.7 inhabitants per km²0.7Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 0.7 inhabitants per km²0.7Kidder CountyKidder County: 0.7 inhabitants per km²0.7Divide CountyDivide County: 0.7 inhabitants per km²0.7Grant CountyGrant County: 0.5 inhabitants per km²0.5Sheridan CountySheridan County: 0.5 inhabitants per km²0.5Billings CountyBillings County: 0.3 inhabitants per km²0.3Slope CountySlope County: 0.2 inhabitants per km²0.2
inhabitants per km². Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023
inhabitants per km²
Change on 2022
1Cass County43.2+2.1%
2Burleigh County23.9+0.8%
3Grand Forks County19.6+1.3%
4Ward County13.1-0.8%
5Stark County9.6+1%
6Williams County7.3+3.4%
7Morton County6.8+1.1%
8Rolette County5-1.2%
9Richland County4.5+0.1%
10Ramsey County3.7-0.3%
11Stutsman County3.70%
12Traill County3.6-0.1%
13Walsh County3.1-1.9%
14Mercer County3.10%
15Barnes County2.8-0.1%
16Ransom County2.5-0.4%
17Pembina County2.3-1.2%
18Foster County2-1.9%
19McKenzie County2+2.8%
20Mountrail County2+1.8%
21McLean County1.8-0.3%
22Sargent County1.7-0.6%
23Dickey County1.7-0.2%
24Benson County1.6-0.4%
25Pierce County1.5-0.9%
26Bottineau County1.5-0.9%
27Eddy County1.4-1.1%
28LaMoure County1.4+0.4%
29Sioux County1.3-1.1%
30Griggs County1.2-0.9%
31Nelson County1.2-0.4%
31Wells County1.2-1.2%
33McHenry County1.1-1.2%
34Renville County1+2.1%
35Oliver County1+1%
36McIntosh County1-0.6%
37Steele County1-0.2%
38Bowman County0.9-1%
39Cavalier County0.9-0.6%
40Adams County0.9+3.1%
41Hettinger County0.8+0.5%
42Emmons County0.8-1.1%
43Dunn County0.8+0.9%
44Towner County0.8-1.5%
45Burke County0.7+0.4%
46Logan County0.7+1.5%
47Golden Valley County0.70%
48Kidder County0.7-1%
49Divide County0.7-1.2%
50Grant County0.5-0.2%
51Sheridan County0.5+0.8%
52Billings County0.3+1.2%
53Slope County0.2-1.4%

Other periods

About this ranking

Resident population divided by land area in km². World Bank figures use mid-year population and land area excluding inland water.

United States: Census Bureau population estimates for 1 July divided by land area (water excluded) from the latest Census Gazetteer files. US tables often give people per square mile; multiply persons per km² by 2.59 to compare.

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. Population Estimates Program resident population on 1 July divided by land area from the latest Census Gazetteer files, persons per km². https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Questions

Which county has the highest population density?

Cass County, with 43.2 inhabitants per km² in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Slope County, with 0.2 inhabitants per km² in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program resident population on 1 July divided by land area from the latest Census Gazetteer files, persons per km². Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Population density: other rankings

Counties in North Dakota: more rankings