HomeNorth DakotaNelson County
Nelson County, North Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Nelson County, North Dakota has a population of 3,016 across 982 square miles, down 0.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $233.9 m in 2024, 128 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $25,000.
101 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Nelson County
How many people live in Nelson County
- Population3,016
- Households1,338
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$67,193
- Median age50.1
- Median gross rent$582 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$139,700
- Home value to household income2.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income10.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher29.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over2,253
- Population under 18625
- Share under 1820.7 percent
- Population 65 and over853
- Share 65 and over28.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 641,538
- Civilian labor force1,443
- Unemployment rate1.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.4 percent
- Rank by population among North Dakota counties34th of 53
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents3031st
Nelson County is the 34th largest of 53 North Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 2.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 28.3 percent against 20.7 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.
Nelson County
Is Nelson County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.40 percent
- Census 2020 base population3,019
- Births, 202427
- Deaths, 202450
- Natural change, 2024-23
- Net domestic migration, 2024-8
- Net international migration, 202430
- Total net migration, 202422
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202451
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1986th
The county has lost 0.40 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Nelson County
Where people moving to Nelson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving36
- People arriving, from those returns62
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,083
- Largest single originNelson County Non-migrants (1,186 households)
- Largest single destination (1,186 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson County Non-migrants | 1,186 | 2,349 | $106.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 36 | 62 | $1.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Nelson 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.
Nelson County
What the Nelson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$233.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$221.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.7 percent
- GDP change over five years52.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Dakota counties37th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2833rd
- GDP per resident$77,560
Output grew 5.7 percent in the latest year and 52.8 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.
Nelson County
Who employs people in Nelson County
- Covered employment, annual average1,040
- Establishments reporting180
- Average annual pay$46,926
- Average weekly wage$902
- Sector 42, employment134
- Sector 42, average annual pay$73,161
- Sector 52, employment66
- Sector 52, average annual pay$60,982
- Sector 23, employment64
- Sector 23, average annual pay$59,489
- Sector 44-45, employment62
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$25,455
- Sector 11, employment42
- Sector 31-33, employment11
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 42 | 134 | 18 | $73,161 |
| Sector 52 | 66 | 17 | $60,982 |
| Sector 23 | 64 | 16 | $59,489 |
| Sector 44-45 | 62 | 12 | $25,455 |
| Sector 11 | 42 | 16 | $54,008 |
| Sector 31-33 | 11 | 4 | $47,751 |
| Sector 53 | 4 | 3 | $29,148 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 134 jobs, 12.9 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.
Nelson County
What businesses operate in Nelson County
- Establishments, all industries128
- Employment at those establishments779
- Annual payroll$38.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents42.4
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.
Nelson County
What is being built in Nelson County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$910,000
- Single family units authorised3
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$303,333
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.2
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Nelson County
How much SBA lending happens in Nelson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$25,000
- Average 7(a) approval$25,000
- Median 7(a) approval$25,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$25,000
- Largest single approval$25,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1
- Jobs per approval1.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term12 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countMobile Food Services (1)
- Most active lenderFarmers & Merchants Bank of North Dakota (1)
The average approval of $25,000 sits close to the median of $25,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Nelson County
Do SBA loans in Nelson County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full0
- Charged off1
- Status: Charged off1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 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.
Nelson County
How big is Nelson County
- Land area982 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Dakota counties41st of 53
- Width, east to west29.8 mi
- Height, north to south36.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land3
- Establishments per square mile0.13
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 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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 Nelson 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 Nelson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population3,016
- Households1,338
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$67,193
- Median age50.1
Common questions
Nelson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Nelson County, North Dakota?
3,016, in 1,338 households, ranking 34th of 53 North Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Nelson County growing?
The population has fallen 0.40 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 27 births against 50 deaths, with net migration of 22. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Nelson County?
$67,193. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $139,700, which is 2.1 times income, and median gross rent is $582 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Nelson County?
128 establishments, employing 779 people with an annual payroll of $38.3 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 Nelson County?
Average annual pay is $46,926, or $902 a week, across 1,040 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Nelson County?
1 7(a) approvals totalling $25,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $25,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Nelson County?
3 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $910,000. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Nelson 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 Nelson County come from?
The largest single origin is Nelson County Non-migrants, with 1,186 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,083 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 Nelson 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 Nelson 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.