Towner County, North Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Towner 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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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 90% of counties in North Dakota
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B
Income Around averageLess wealthy than 75% of counties in North Dakota
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 87% of counties in North Dakota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Towner County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,079 | 784,730 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2.0 | 11.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.21% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.0 | 36.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 989 | 331,016 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Towner County declined by 10.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 2,079 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Towner County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.1% of residents. That is 6.5 points above North Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 299 14.4% -9.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 330 15.9% -5.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 502 24.1% +6.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 463 22.3% +6.4 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 49.0% of the people living in Towner County and men 51.0%.
- Women 49.0% North Dakota 49.0%
- Men 51.0% North Dakota 51.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Towner County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Towner County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Towner County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,439 | $76,862 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.78% | 3.32% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0% | 2.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Towner County is about 12% lower than in North Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Towner County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $57,368 | $125,877 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $757 | $953 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.8% | 62.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Towner County is about 6.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $757 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Towner 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 | Towner County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 10.1 | 13.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 20.3 | 27.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 85 | 115 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,621 | $3,567 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.4% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 542 | 2,106 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 148 | 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 Towner 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
Towner County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Towner County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.4% | 29.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.07 | 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
Towner County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Towner County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.4 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.9% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.5% | 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 Towner County, North Dakota.
How many people live in Towner County, North Dakota?
About 2,079 people live in Towner County, North Dakota, in 989 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 47.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Towner County, North Dakota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Towner 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 Towner County, North Dakota?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($57,368 against $67,439), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $757 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Towner County, North Dakota?
Unemployment in Towner 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 common is a college degree in Towner County, North Dakota?
16.4% of adults in Towner County, North Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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