HomeNorth DakotaRansom County
Ransom County, North Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Ransom County, North Dakota has a population of 5,643 across 862 square miles, down 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $387.0 m in 2024, 188 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $59,000.
115 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Ransom County
How many people live in Ransom County
- Population5,643
- Households2,337
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$75,736
- Median age43.1
- Median gross rent$691 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$193,000
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income10.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,989
- Population under 181,217
- Share under 1821.6 percent
- Population 65 and over1,246
- Share 65 and over22.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,180
- Civilian labor force2,812
- Unemployment rate2.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.5 percent
- Rank by population among North Dakota counties22nd of 53
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2841st
Ransom County is the 22nd largest of 53 North Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.1 percent against 21.6 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.
Ransom County
Is Ransom County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.95 percent
- Census 2020 base population5,701
- Births, 202447
- Deaths, 202481
- Natural change, 2024-34
- Net domestic migration, 20242
- Net international migration, 202416
- Total net migration, 202418
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-28
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2489th
The county has lost 1.95 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.
Ransom County
Where people moving to Ransom County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving108
- People arriving, from those returns189
- Adjusted gross income arriving$6.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$59,352
- Largest single originRansom County Non-migrants (2,119 households)
- Largest single destination (2,119 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ransom County Non-migrants | 2,119 | 4,360 | $168.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 50 | 73 | $2.4 m |
| Cass County | 32 | 64 | $1.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 26 | 52 | $2.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 26 | 52 | $2.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Ransom 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.
Ransom County
What the Ransom County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$387.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$439.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-11.9 percent
- GDP change over five years49.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Dakota counties26th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2568th
- GDP per resident$68,573
Output grew -11.9 percent in the latest year and 49.8 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.
Ransom County
Who employs people in Ransom County
- Covered employment, annual average1,997
- Establishments reporting259
- Average annual pay$49,719
- Average weekly wage$956
- Sector 31-33, employment250
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$68,431
- Sector 44-45, employment194
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$28,303
- Sector 42, employment158
- Sector 42, average annual pay$92,896
- Sector 72, employment129
- Sector 72, average annual pay$15,512
- Sector 52, employment75
- Sector 54, employment65
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 250 | 10 | $68,431 |
| Sector 44-45 | 194 | 20 | $28,303 |
| Sector 42 | 158 | 19 | $92,896 |
| Sector 72 | 129 | 14 | $15,512 |
| Sector 52 | 75 | 18 | $69,212 |
| Sector 54 | 65 | 18 | $50,345 |
| Sector 56 | 49 | 12 | $54,305 |
| Sector 81 | 49 | 14 | $29,864 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 250 jobs, 12.5 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.
Ransom County
What businesses operate in Ransom County
- Establishments, all industries188
- Employment at those establishments1,414
- Annual payroll$66.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents33.3
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.
Ransom County
What is being built in Ransom County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$845,000
- Single family units authorised3
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$281,667
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.3
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ransom County
How much SBA lending happens in Ransom County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$59,000
- Average 7(a) approval$19,667
- Median 7(a) approval$20,000
- 10th percentile approval$14,000
- 90th percentile approval$25,000
- Largest single approval$25,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4
- Jobs per approval1.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term60 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 shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Specialty Trade Contractors (2)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (3)
- 504 approvals recorded9
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.4 m
- Average 504 approval$268,778
- Median 504 approval$234,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval4.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.3
- Most active CDCLake Agassiz Certified Development Company (6)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals25.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$2.5 m
The average approval of $19,667 sits close to the median of $20,000, 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. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ransom County
Do SBA loans in Ransom County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Ransom County
Which parts of Ransom County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- LISBON, approvals2
- FORT RANSOM, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| LISBON | 2 | $45,000 |
| FORT RANSOM | 1 | $14,000 |
LISBON accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in FORT RANSOM. 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.
Ransom County
How big is Ransom County
- Land area862 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Dakota counties46th of 53
- Width, east to west36 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land7
- 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 Ransom 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 Ransom County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population5,643
- Households2,337
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$75,736
- Median age43.1
Common questions
Ransom County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ransom County, North Dakota?
5,643, in 2,337 households, ranking 22nd of 53 North Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ransom County growing?
The population has fallen 1.95 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 47 births against 81 deaths, with net migration of 18. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ransom County?
$75,736. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $193,000, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $691 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Ransom County?
188 establishments, employing 1,414 people with an annual payroll of $66.0 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 Ransom County?
Average annual pay is $49,719, or $956 a week, across 1,997 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ransom County?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $59,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $20,000, plus 9 504 approvals worth $2.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Ransom County?
3 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $845,000. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ransom 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 Ransom County come from?
The largest single origin is Ransom County Non-migrants, with 2,119 households. Arriving households report an average income of $59,352 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 Ransom 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 Ransom 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.