HomeNorth DakotaFoster County
Foster County, North Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Foster County, North Dakota has a population of 3,358 across 635 square miles, down 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $309.1 m in 2024, 138 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $5.0 m.
111 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Foster County
How many people live in Foster County
- Population3,358
- Households1,531
- Average household size2.19
- Median household income$87,831
- Median age43.4
- Median gross rent$780 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$167,500
- Home value to household income1.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income10.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over2,506
- Population under 18731
- Share under 1821.8 percent
- Population 65 and over810
- Share 65 and over24.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 641,817
- Civilian labor force1,853
- Unemployment rate1.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.5 percent
- Rank by population among North Dakota counties32nd of 53
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents3012th
Foster County is the 32nd largest of 53 North Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 1.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.1 percent against 21.8 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Foster County
Is Foster County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.12 percent
- Census 2020 base population3,395
- Births, 202436
- Deaths, 202438
- Natural change, 2024-2
- Net domestic migration, 2024-39
- Net international migration, 202429
- Total net migration, 2024-10
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-91
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2529th
The county has lost 2.12 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Foster County
Where people moving to Foster County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving45
- People arriving, from those returns81
- Adjusted gross income arriving$2.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$50,511
- Largest single originFoster County Non-migrants (1,331 households)
- Largest single destination (1,331 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foster County Non-migrants | 1,331 | 2,818 | $125.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 45 | 81 | $2.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Foster County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Foster County
What the Foster County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$309.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$359.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-14.1 percent
- GDP change over five years15.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Dakota counties30th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2686th
- GDP per resident$92,050
Output grew -14.1 percent in the latest year and 15.0 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Foster County
Who employs people in Foster County
- Covered employment, annual average1,542
- Establishments reporting173
- Average annual pay$57,351
- Average weekly wage$1,103
- Sector 31-33, employment272
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$60,656
- Sector 44-45, employment218
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,395
- Sector 62, employment211
- Sector 62, average annual pay$54,443
- Sector 42, employment152
- Sector 42, average annual pay$81,596
- Sector 72, employment86
- Sector 23, employment72
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 272 | 10 | $60,656 |
| Sector 44-45 | 218 | 23 | $35,395 |
| Sector 62 | 211 | 15 | $54,443 |
| Sector 42 | 152 | 19 | $81,596 |
| Sector 72 | 86 | 11 | $18,813 |
| Sector 23 | 72 | 17 | $61,933 |
| Sector 11 | 55 | 11 | $52,698 |
| Sector 71 | 23 | 4 | $12,169 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 272 jobs, 17.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Foster County
What businesses operate in Foster County
- Establishments, all industries138
- Employment at those establishments1,421
- Annual payroll$79.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents41.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Foster County
What is being built in Foster County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$1.8 m
- Single family units authorised3
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$590,000
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.0
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Foster County
How much SBA lending happens in Foster County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$5,000,000
- Median 7(a) approval$5,000,000
- 10th percentile approval$5,000,000
- 90th percentile approval$5,000,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)100
- Jobs per approval100.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term240 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer100.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter0
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countNursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (1)
- Most active lenderOld National Bank (1)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$180,000
- Average 504 approval$180,000
- Median 504 approval$180,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval4.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved22.2
- Most active CDCLewis & Clark Certified Development Company (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals50.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$5.2 m
The average approval of $5,000,000 sits close to the median of $5,000,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 100.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Foster County
Do SBA loans in Foster County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Foster County
How big is Foster County
- Land area635 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Dakota counties52nd of 53
- Width, east to west35.9 mi
- Height, north to south18 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land5
- Establishments per square mile0.22
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Foster County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Foster County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population3,358
- Households1,531
- Average household size2.19
- Median household income$87,831
- Median age43.4
Common questions
Foster County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Foster County, North Dakota?
3,358, in 1,531 households, ranking 32nd of 53 North Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Foster County growing?
The population has fallen 2.12 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 36 births against 38 deaths, with net migration of -10. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Foster County?
$87,831. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $167,500, which is 1.9 times income, and median gross rent is $780 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Foster County?
138 establishments, employing 1,421 people with an annual payroll of $79.0 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Foster County?
Average annual pay is $57,351, or $1,103 a week, across 1,542 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Foster County?
1 7(a) approvals totalling $5.0 m since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $5,000,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $180,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Foster County?
3 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.8 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Foster County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Foster County come from?
The largest single origin is Foster County Non-migrants, with 1,331 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,511 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Foster County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Foster County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.