Burke County, North Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Burke 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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A
Income Above averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in North Dakota
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Burke County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,156 | 784,730 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1.9 | 11.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.47% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 36.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 904 | 331,016 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Burke County grew by 6.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 2,156 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Burke County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.7% of residents. That is 5.8 points above North Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 370 17.2% -6.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 386 17.9% -3.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 439 20.4% +2.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 469 21.7% +5.8 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 48.0% of the people living in Burke County and men 52.0%.
- Women 48.0% North Dakota 49.0%
- Men 52.0% North Dakota 51.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Burke County
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Economy
Burke County has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Burke County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $95,923 | $76,862 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.99% | 3.32% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 2.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Burke County is about 25% higher than in North Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Burke County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $26,666 | $125,877 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $683 | $953 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.1% | 62.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Burke County is about 3.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $683 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Burke County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 177 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Burke County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.2 | 13.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.4 | 27.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 177 | 115 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,482 | $3,567 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.3% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 576 | 2,106 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 89 | 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 Burke County is 21 minutes, longer 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
Burke County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Burke County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.1% | 29.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 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
Burke County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Burke County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.9% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.2% | 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).
Burke County, ND Compared With Nearby Counties
How Burke County, ND compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burke County, ND | 2,156 | $95,923 #1/3 | $26,666 #3/3 | 21.2 min #3/3 |
| Williams County, ND | 39,554 | $84,931 | $438,114 | 13.9 min |
| Ward County, ND | 68,973 | $78,102 | $49,999 | 13.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Burke County, North Dakota.
What is the population of Burke County, North Dakota?
About 2,156 people live in Burke County, North Dakota, in 904 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Burke County, North Dakota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Burke County, North Dakota has 2 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 2% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Burke County, North Dakota an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($26,666 against $95,923), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $683 a month takes about 9% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Burke County, North Dakota?
Unemployment in Burke County, North Dakota is only 3.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Burke County, North Dakota?
24.1% of adults in Burke County, North Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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