HomeNorth DakotaMcKenzie County
McKenzie County, North Dakota: commercial real estate data.
McKenzie County, North Dakota has a population of 14,321 across 2,760 square miles, up 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $4.35 bn in 2024, 594 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $9.4 m.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
McKenzie County
How many people live in McKenzie County
- Population14,321
- Households5,997
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$93,404
- Median age31.5
- Median gross rent$1,284 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$349,600
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over8,974
- Population under 184,450
- Share under 1831.1 percent
- Population 65 and over1,336
- Share 65 and over9.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,535
- Civilian labor force7,162
- Unemployment rate1.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over72.6 percent
- Rank by population among North Dakota counties10th of 53
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2197th
McKenzie County is the 10th largest of 53 North Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 31.1 percent against 9.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
McKenzie County
Is McKenzie County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.51 percent
- Census 2020 base population14,707
- Births, 2024217
- Deaths, 202494
- Natural change, 2024123
- Net domestic migration, 2024334
- Net international migration, 202447
- Total net migration, 2024381
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-575
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1652nd
The county has grown 0.51 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
McKenzie County
Where people moving to McKenzie County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving545
- People arriving, from those returns1,092
- Adjusted gross income arriving$34.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$62,569
- Largest single originMcKenzie County Non-migrants (4,059 households)
- Largest single destination (4,059 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKenzie County Non-migrants | 4,059 | 9,160 | $583.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 361 | 753 | $20.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 193 | 414 | $11.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 102 | 219 | $5.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 87 | 153 | $6.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 66 | 120 | $3.4 m |
| Williams County | 46 | 78 | $3.4 m |
| Richland County | 27 | 52 | $1.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is McKenzie 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.
McKenzie County
What the McKenzie County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$4.35 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.40 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-1.1 percent
- GDP change over five years62.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Dakota counties6th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents767th
- GDP per resident$304,090
Output grew -1.1 percent in the latest year and 62.9 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.
McKenzie County
Who employs people in McKenzie County
- Covered employment, annual average11,484
- Establishments reporting819
- Average annual pay$90,997
- Average weekly wage$1,750
- Sector 21, employment2,031
- Sector 21, average annual pay$129,141
- Sector 48-49, employment1,352
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$128,388
- Sector 44-45, employment649
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$38,379
- Sector 42, employment561
- Sector 42, average annual pay$116,124
- Sector 54, employment365
- Sector 53, employment338
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 21 | 2,031 | 104 | $129,141 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,352 | 115 | $128,388 |
| Sector 44-45 | 649 | 48 | $38,379 |
| Sector 42 | 561 | 45 | $116,124 |
| Sector 54 | 365 | 77 | $100,013 |
| Sector 53 | 338 | 36 | $116,828 |
| Sector 81 | 232 | 53 | $75,726 |
| Sector 52 | 116 | 15 | $104,830 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,031 jobs, 17.7 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.
McKenzie County
What businesses operate in McKenzie County
- Establishments, all industries594
- Employment at those establishments6,861
- Annual payroll$646.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents41.5
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.
McKenzie County
What is being built in McKenzie County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202438
- Declared construction value permitted$15.4 m
- Single family units authorised38
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$404,309
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.3
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
McKenzie County
How much SBA lending happens in McKenzie County
- 7(a) approvals recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$668,493
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$47,500
- 90th percentile approval$1,947,000
- Largest single approval$2,800,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)131
- Jobs per approval9.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active12
- Distinct industries receiving approvals11
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer35.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter9
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSupport Activities for Oil and Gas Operations (3)
- Most active lenderWells Fargo Bank National Association (2)
- 504 approvals recorded9
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.1 m
- Average 504 approval$566,889
- Median 504 approval$610,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval9.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.9
- Most active CDCDakota Business Lending (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals60.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$14.5 m
The average approval of $668,493 sits well above the median of $350,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 35.7 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.
McKenzie County
Do SBA loans in McKenzie County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded8
- Paid in full8
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full8
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 8 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.
McKenzie County
Which parts of McKenzie County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- WATFORD CITY, approvals7
- Fairview, approvals2
- ALEXANDER, approvals2
- Cartwright, approvals1
- ARNEGARD, approvals1
- Watford, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WATFORD CITY | 7 | $6,722,800 |
| Fairview | 2 | $94,000 |
| ALEXANDER | 2 | $762,200 |
| Cartwright | 1 | $350,000 |
| ARNEGARD | 1 | $794,000 |
| Watford | 1 | $635,900 |
WATFORD CITY accounts for 7 approvals against 2 in Fairview. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
McKenzie County
How big is McKenzie County
- Land area2,760 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Dakota counties1st of 53
- Width, east to west69.3 mi
- Height, north to south56.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- 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 McKenzie 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 McKenzie County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population14,321
- Households5,997
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$93,404
- Median age31.5
Common questions
McKenzie County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in McKenzie County, North Dakota?
14,321, in 5,997 households, ranking 10th of 53 North Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is McKenzie County growing?
The population has grown 0.51 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 217 births against 94 deaths, with net migration of 381. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in McKenzie County?
$93,404. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $349,600, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,284 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in McKenzie County?
594 establishments, employing 6,861 people with an annual payroll of $646.5 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 McKenzie County?
Average annual pay is $90,997, or $1,750 a week, across 11,484 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in McKenzie County?
14 7(a) approvals totalling $9.4 m since FY2020, across 12 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 9 504 approvals worth $5.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in McKenzie County?
38 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $15.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for McKenzie 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 McKenzie County come from?
The largest single origin is McKenzie County Non-migrants, with 4,059 households. Arriving households report an average income of $62,569 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 McKenzie 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 McKenzie 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.