Ransom County, North Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ransom 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 average
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 79% of counties in North Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Ransom County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,643 | 784,730 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6.5 | 11.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.46% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.2 | 36.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,337 | 331,016 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ransom County declined by 0.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,643 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ransom County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.0% of residents. That is 4.4 points above North Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,038 18.4% -5.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,005 17.8% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,242 22.0% +4.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,056 18.7% +2.8 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 Ransom 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 Ransom County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Ransom County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Ransom County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,578 | $76,862 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.69% | 3.32% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 2.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ransom County is about the same as in North Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Ransom County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $135,414 | $125,877 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $690 | $953 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.7% | 62.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ransom County is about 16.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $690 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ransom County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 127 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ransom County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.3 | 13.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.6 | 27.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 127 | 115 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,950 | $3,567 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.2% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 2,106 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 218 | 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 Ransom County is 15 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
Ransom County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Ransom County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.5% | 29.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 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
Ransom County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Ransom County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.7% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.9% | 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).
Ransom County, ND Compared With Nearby Counties
How Ransom County, ND compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ransom County, ND | 5,643 | $76,578 #1/2 | $135,414 #2/2 | 15.3 min #1/2 |
| Cass County, ND | 193,305 | $75,698 | $281,320 | 15.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ransom County, North Dakota.
How many people live in Ransom County, North Dakota?
About 5,643 people live in Ransom County, North Dakota, in 2,337 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 41.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Ransom County, North Dakota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Ransom County, North Dakota has 7 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 8% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Ransom County, North Dakota?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($135,414 against $76,578), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $690 a month takes about 11% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Ransom County, North Dakota?
Unemployment in Ransom County, North Dakota is only 2.9%, 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 Ransom County, North Dakota?
19.5% of adults in Ransom 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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