Stark County, North Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Stark 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 88% of counties in North Dakota
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 79% of counties in North Dakota
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Stark County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,302 | 784,730 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 24.8 | 11.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.39% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.7 | 36.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,537 | 331,016 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Stark County grew by 48.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 33,302 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Stark County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.3% of residents. That is 1.1 points above North Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,223 21.7% -1.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,419 22.3% +1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,203 18.6% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,621 13.9% -2.0 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 48.5% of the people living in Stark County and men 51.5%.
- Women 48.5% North Dakota 49.0%
- Men 51.5% North Dakota 51.0%
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100% of everyone living in Stark County
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Economy
Stark County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Stark County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $84,797 | $76,862 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 1.39% | 3.32% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 2.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Stark County is about 10% higher than in North Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Stark County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $141,935 | $125,877 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $959 | $953 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.8% | 62.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Stark County is about 12.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $959 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Stark County spend about 25 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 106 hours, about 4.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Stark County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.7 | 13.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.4 | 27.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 106 | 115 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,284 | $3,567 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.1% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,677 | 2,106 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 458 | 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 Stark County is 13 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
Stark County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Stark County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.2% | 29.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 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
Stark County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Stark County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.7 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.4% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.7% | 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 Stark County, North Dakota.
What is the population of Stark County, North Dakota?
About 33,302 people live in Stark County, North Dakota, in 13,537 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 33.7, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Stark County, North Dakota?
Averaged over its land area, Stark County, North Dakota has 25 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 29% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Stark County, North Dakota?
The median home costs 1.7 times the median household income ($141,935 against $84,797), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $959 a month takes about 14% 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 Stark County, North Dakota?
Unemployment in Stark County, North Dakota is only 3.0%, 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 Stark County, North Dakota?
23.2% of adults in Stark 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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