Oliver County, North Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Oliver 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 averageHealthier than 78% of counties in North Dakota
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 81% of counties in North Dakota
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Oliver County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,839 | 784,730 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2.5 | 11.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.53% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.8 | 36.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 725 | 331,016 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Oliver County grew by 13.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 1,839 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Oliver County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.8% of residents. That is 6.1 points above North Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 260 14.2% -9.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 294 16.0% -5.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 437 23.8% +6.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 424 23.0% +7.1 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 47.8% of the people living in Oliver County and men 52.2%.
- Women 47.8% North Dakota 49.0%
- Men 52.2% North Dakota 51.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Oliver County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Oliver County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Oliver County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $79,756 | $76,862 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.74% | 3.32% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0% | 2.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Oliver County is about 4% higher than in North Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Oliver County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $537,497 | $125,877 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $756 | $953 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 95.2% | 62.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Oliver County is about 59.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $756 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Oliver County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 190 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Oliver County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.8 | 13.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.7 | 27.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 190 | 115 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,900 | $3,567 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.0% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,575 | 2,106 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 258 | 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 Oliver County is 23 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
Oliver County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Oliver County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.4% | 29.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 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
Oliver County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Oliver County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 84.3 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.1% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.0% | 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).
Oliver County, ND Compared With Nearby Counties
How Oliver County, ND compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver County, ND | 1,839 | $79,756 #2/3 | $537,497 #1/3 | 22.8 min #3/3 |
| Morton County, ND | 33,777 | $79,602 | $22,250 | 17.0 min |
| Burleigh County, ND | 100,591 | $86,745 | $27,777 | 15.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Oliver County, North Dakota.
What is the population of Oliver County, North Dakota?
About 1,839 people live in Oliver County, North Dakota, in 725 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 46.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Oliver County, North Dakota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Oliver County, North Dakota has 3 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 3% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Oliver County, North Dakota?
The median home costs 6.7 times the median household income ($537,497 against $79,756), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $756 a month takes about 11% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Oliver County, North Dakota?
Unemployment in Oliver County, North Dakota is only 1.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Oliver County, North Dakota?
20.4% of adults in Oliver County, North Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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