Pierce County, North Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Pierce 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 averageLess wealthy than 77% of counties in North Dakota
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Pierce County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,928 | 784,730 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3.6 | 11.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.33% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.2 | 36.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,854 | 331,016 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Pierce County declined by 4.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 3,928 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Pierce County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.8% of residents. That is 6.9 points above North Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 688 17.5% -6.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 640 16.3% -4.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 806 20.5% +2.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 896 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 49.3% of the people living in Pierce County and men 50.7%.
- Women 49.3% North Dakota 49.0%
- Men 50.7% North Dakota 51.0%
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100% of everyone living in Pierce County
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Economy
Pierce County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Pierce County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,993 | $76,862 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.31% | 3.32% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.1% | 2.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Pierce County is about 23% lower than in North Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Pierce County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $112,499 | $125,877 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $849 | $953 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.6% | 62.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Pierce County is about 11.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $849 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Pierce County spend about 15 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 64 hours, about 2.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Pierce County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 7.7 | 13.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 15.4 | 27.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 64 | 115 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $1,995 | $3,567 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.2% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 665 | 2,106 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 142 | 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 Pierce County is 8 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
Pierce County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Pierce County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.0% | 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
Pierce County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Pierce County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.4% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.1% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Pierce County, North Dakota.
How big is Pierce County, North Dakota by population?
About 3,928 people live in Pierce County, North Dakota, in 1,854 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 45.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
How densely populated is Pierce County, North Dakota?
Averaged over its land area, Pierce County, North Dakota has 4 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 4% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Pierce County, North Dakota?
The median home costs 1.9 times the median household income ($112,499 against $58,993), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $849 a month takes about 17% 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 Pierce County, North Dakota?
Unemployment in Pierce County, North Dakota is only 1.1%, 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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