Bismarck, North Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bismarck, 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 average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Bismarck | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,548 | 784,730 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1635.7 | 11.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.21% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.1 | 36.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 25,311 | 331,016 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bismarck grew by 21.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 57,548 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bismarck is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.7% of residents. That is 0.9 points below North Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 13,087 22.7% -0.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 12,190 21.2% on par
- Gen X 45–60 10,554 18.3% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,037 17.4% +1.5 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 50.9% of the people living in Bismarck and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% North Dakota 49.0%
- Men 49.1% North Dakota 51.0%
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Economy
Bismarck has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Bismarck | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,947 | $76,862 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.23% | 3.32% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 2.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bismarck is about 4% lower than in North Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Bismarck | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $28,759 | $125,877 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $947 | $953 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.9% | 62.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bismarck is about 2.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $947 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bismarck spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 108 hours, about 4.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bismarck | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.9 | 13.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.9 | 27.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 108 | 115 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,344 | $3,567 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.6% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,004 | 2,106 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,446 | 360 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Bismarck is 13 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
Bismarck has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Bismarck | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.7% | 29.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.19 | 2.29 | 2.53 |
Health
Bismarck has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Bismarck | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.4 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.3% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.9% | 18.7% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bismarck, North Dakota.
How big is Bismarck, North Dakota by population?
About 57,548 people live in Bismarck, North Dakota, in 25,311 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 37.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Bismarck, North Dakota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Bismarck, North Dakota has 1,636 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 19 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Bismarck, North Dakota?
The median home costs 0.4 times the median household income ($28,759 against $73,947), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $947 a month takes about 15% 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 Bismarck, North Dakota?
Unemployment in Bismarck, North Dakota is only 3.0%, 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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