Hettinger County, North Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hettinger 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.
-
C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 86% of counties in North Dakota
-
B
Income Around averageLess wealthy than 79% of counties in North Dakota
-
F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in North Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hettinger County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,432 | 784,730 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2.1 | 11.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.02% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.9 | 36.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,130 | 331,016 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hettinger County grew by 1.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 2,432 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hettinger County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.8% of residents. That is 6.9 points above North Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 363 14.9% -8.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 434 17.9% -3.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 507 20.8% +3.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 554 22.8% +6.9 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 51.7% of the people living in Hettinger County and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% North Dakota 49.0%
- Men 48.3% North Dakota 51.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hettinger County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hettinger County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Hettinger County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,415 | $76,862 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.97% | 3.32% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 2.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hettinger County is about 12% lower than in North Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Hettinger County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $300,000 | $125,877 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $785 | $953 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.8% | 62.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hettinger County is about 31.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $785 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hettinger County spend about 20 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 85 hours, about 3.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hettinger County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 10.2 | 13.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 20.3 | 27.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 85 | 115 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,626 | $3,567 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.9% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 2,106 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 160 | 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 Hettinger County is 10 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
Hettinger County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Hettinger County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.0% | 29.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.04 | 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
Hettinger County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Hettinger County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.0% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.4% | 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).
Hettinger County, ND Compared With Nearby Counties
How Hettinger County, ND compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hettinger County, ND | 2,432 | $67,415 #2/2 | $300,000 #1/2 | 10.2 min #1/2 |
| Stark County, ND | 33,302 | $84,797 | $141,935 | 12.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hettinger County, North Dakota.
How big is Hettinger County, North Dakota by population?
About 2,432 people live in Hettinger County, North Dakota, in 1,130 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 42.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Hettinger County, North Dakota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hettinger 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.
How affordable is housing in Hettinger County, North Dakota?
The median home costs 4.5 times the median household income ($300,000 against $67,415), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $785 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Hettinger County, North Dakota have a college degree?
17.0% of adults in Hettinger County, North Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →