HomeNorth DakotaWard County
Ward County, North Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Ward County, North Dakota has a population of 68,973 across 2,013 square miles, down 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $5.09 bn in 2024, 2,043 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 51 7(a) approvals worth $25.5 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Ward County
How many people live in Ward County
- Population68,973
- Households28,568
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$78,238
- Median age33.6
- Median gross rent$1,048 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$267,100
- Home value to household income3.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher29.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over44,405
- Population under 1816,616
- Share under 1824.1 percent
- Population 65 and over9,636
- Share 65 and over14.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6442,721
- Civilian labor force33,658
- Unemployment rate3.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.3 percent
- Rank by population among North Dakota counties4th of 53
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents795th
Ward County is the 4th largest of 53 North Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 3.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.1 percent against 14.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ward County
Is Ward County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.14 percent
- Census 2020 base population69,922
- Births, 2024957
- Deaths, 2024507
- Natural change, 2024450
- Net domestic migration, 2024-725
- Net international migration, 2024293
- Total net migration, 2024-432
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-3,993
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2540th
The county has lost 2.14 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Ward County
Where people moving to Ward County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,215
- People arriving, from those returns4,103
- Adjusted gross income arriving$119.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$53,833
- Largest single originWard County Non-migrants (25,552 households)
- Largest single destination (25,552 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ward County Non-migrants | 25,552 | 51,620 | $2.41 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,304 | 2,439 | $65.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 510 | 980 | $24.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 413 | 778 | $22.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 298 | 535 | $14.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 123 | 231 | $7.3 m |
| Foreign - APO/FPO ZIPs | 115 | 279 | $6.3 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 83 | 146 | $3.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Ward 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.
Ward County
What the Ward County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$5.09 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.93 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.4 percent
- GDP change over five years24.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Dakota counties5th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents711th
- GDP per resident$73,850
Output grew 3.4 percent in the latest year and 24.2 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.
Ward County
Who employs people in Ward County
- Covered employment, annual average31,358
- Establishments reporting2,723
- Average annual pay$60,491
- Average weekly wage$1,163
- Sector 62, employment4,890
- Sector 62, average annual pay$69,827
- Sector 44-45, employment4,648
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$38,526
- Sector 72, employment3,367
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,156
- Sector 23, employment2,031
- Sector 23, average annual pay$70,163
- Sector 42, employment1,681
- Sector 21, employment1,513
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 4,890 | 260 | $69,827 |
| Sector 44-45 | 4,648 | 289 | $38,526 |
| Sector 72 | 3,367 | 197 | $23,156 |
| Sector 23 | 2,031 | 312 | $70,163 |
| Sector 42 | 1,681 | 160 | $85,349 |
| Sector 21 | 1,513 | 53 | $134,980 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,187 | 134 | $66,779 |
| Sector 81 | 1,082 | 168 | $54,226 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 4,890 jobs, 15.6 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.
Ward County
What businesses operate in Ward County
- Establishments, all industries2,043
- Employment at those establishments24,723
- Annual payroll$1.39 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents29.6
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.
Ward County
What is being built in Ward County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024130
- Declared construction value permitted$29.8 m
- Single family units authorised110
- Multifamily units authorised20
- Multifamily share of units15.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$229,366
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.6
Multifamily is 15.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ward County
How much SBA lending happens in Ward County
- 7(a) approvals recorded51
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$25.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$499,129
- Median 7(a) approval$137,300
- 10th percentile approval$42,200
- 90th percentile approval$1,440,000
- Largest single approval$4,911,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)480
- Jobs per approval9.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active19
- Distinct industries receiving approvals31
- Median 7(a) term86 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter39
- Franchise loans10
- Franchise share of approvals19.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (8)
- Most active lenderTown and Country CU (17)
- 504 approvals recorded76
- 504 gross approval dollars$56.5 m
- Average 504 approval$743,500
- Median 504 approval$426,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval10.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.4
- Most active CDCDakota Business Lending (67)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals40.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$82.0 m
The average approval of $499,129 sits well above the median of $137,300, 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. Only 21.6 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.
Ward County
Do SBA loans in Ward County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded9
- Paid in full8
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure37
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Paid in full8
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 9 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.
Ward County
Which parts of Ward County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- Minot, approvals45
- KENMARE, approvals2
- SURREY, approvals1
- Carpio, approvals1
- MINOT AFB, approvals1
- DES LACS, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Minot | 45 | $22,963,300 |
| KENMARE | 2 | $2,235,000 |
| SURREY | 1 | $50,100 |
| Carpio | 1 | $155,000 |
| MINOT AFB | 1 | $10,000 |
| DES LACS | 1 | $42,200 |
Minot accounts for 45 approvals against 2 in KENMARE. 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.
Ward County
How big is Ward County
- Land area2,013 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Dakota counties5th of 53
- Width, east to west58 mi
- Height, north to south66.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land34
- Establishments per square mile1.01
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 Ward 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 Ward County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population68,973
- Households28,568
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$78,238
- Median age33.6
Common questions
Ward County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ward County, North Dakota?
68,973, in 28,568 households, ranking 4th of 53 North Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ward County growing?
The population has fallen 2.14 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 957 births against 507 deaths, with net migration of -432. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ward County?
$78,238. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $267,100, which is 3.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,048 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Ward County?
2,043 establishments, employing 24,723 people with an annual payroll of $1.39 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Ward County?
Average annual pay is $60,491, or $1,163 a week, across 31,358 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ward County?
51 7(a) approvals totalling $25.5 m since FY2020, across 19 lenders, with a median approval of $137,300, plus 76 504 approvals worth $56.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Ward County?
130 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $29.8 m. Multifamily was 15.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ward 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 Ward County come from?
The largest single origin is Ward County Non-migrants, with 25,552 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,833 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 Ward 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 Ward 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.