Barnes County, North Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Barnes County, ND Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 88% of counties in North Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Barnes County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,773 | 784,730 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 7.1 | 11.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.29% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.6 | 36.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,908 | 331,016 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Barnes County declined by 0.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 10,773 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Barnes County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.6% of residents. That is 5.7 points above North Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,247 20.9% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,868 17.3% -3.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,211 20.5% +2.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,330 21.6% +5.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Dakota, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.7% of the people living in Barnes County and men 50.3%.
- Women 49.7% North Dakota 49.0%
- Men 50.3% North Dakota 51.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Barnes County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Barnes County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Barnes County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,864 | $76,862 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.66% | 3.32% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 2.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Barnes County is about 9% lower than in North Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Barnes County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $445,454 | $125,877 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $778 | $953 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.8% | 62.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Barnes County is about 47.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $778 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Barnes County spend about 25 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 104 hours, about 4.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Barnes County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.4 | 13.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 24.9 | 27.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 104 | 115 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,212 | $3,567 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,771 | 2,106 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 156 | 360 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Dakota:
McIntosh County (6.9 min), Foster County (7.7 min), Pierce County (7.7 min).
Slowest:
McHenry County (28.9 min), Renville County (23.5 min), Oliver County (22.8 min).
The average commute time in Barnes County is 12 minutes, shorter than the 14 minutes in North Dakota.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Barnes County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Barnes County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.8% | 29.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.06 | 2.29 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Dakota:
Cass County (0.3), Burleigh County (0.3), Grand Forks County (0.3).
Lowest:
Sioux County (0.2), Sheridan County (0.2), Hettinger County (0.2).
Health
Barnes County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Barnes County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.9% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.3% | 18.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Dakota:
Burleigh County (0.8), Steele County (0.8), Cass County (0.8).
Lowest:
Sioux County (0.7), Rolette County (0.7), Benson County (0.8).
Barnes County, ND Compared With Nearby Counties
How Barnes County, ND compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes County, ND | 10,773 | $69,864 #2/2 | $445,454 #1/2 | 12.4 min #1/2 |
| Cass County, ND | 193,305 | $75,698 | $281,320 | 15.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Barnes County, North Dakota.
How many people live in Barnes County, North Dakota?
About 10,773 people live in Barnes County, North Dakota, in 4,908 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 40.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Barnes County, North Dakota?
Averaged over its land area, Barnes County, North Dakota has 7 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 8% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Barnes County, North Dakota?
The median home costs 6.4 times the median household income ($445,454 against $69,864), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $778 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Barnes County, North Dakota?
Unemployment in Barnes County, North Dakota is only 3.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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