Pierce County, North Dakota
Pierce County | |
|---|---|
The Pierce County Courthouse in Rugby | |
Location within the U.S. state of North Dakota | |
North Dakota's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 48°14′20″N 99°57′59″W / 48.238883°N 99.966497°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Dakota |
| Founded | March 11, 1887 (created) April 6, 1889 (organized) |
| Named after | Gilbert A. Pierce |
| Seat | Rugby |
| Largest city | Rugby |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,082.466 sq mi (2,803.57 km2) |
| • Land | 1,018.285 sq mi (2,637.35 km2) |
| • Water | 64.181 sq mi (166.23 km2) 5.93% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,990 |
• Estimate (2024) | 3,853 |
| • Density | 3.784/sq mi (1.461/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 701 |
| Congressional district | At-large |
| Website | piercecountynd.gov |
Pierce County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,990,[1] and was estimated to be 3,853 in 2024.[2] The county seat and the largest city is Rugby.[3]
History
The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on March 11, 1887, with areas partitioned from Bottineau, Rolette, McHenry and the now-extinct DeSmet counties. It was named for Gilbert A. Pierce, a Dakotas political figure. The county was not organized at that time, nor was it attached to another county for administrative or judicial purposes. It was attached to McHenry County on February 4, 1889, but that lasted only two months; on April 6 the county government was affected and the attachment to McHenry was terminated.
The county's boundaries were enlarged on November 8, 1892, when Church County was dissolved and a portion of its territory was annexed into Pierce.[4][5]
The geographical center of North America is in Pierce County, approximately six miles (9.7 km) west of Balta.[6] Rugby has a monument for the center at the intersection of US 2 and ND 3.
Geography
The North Fork of the Sheyenne River flows easterly through central Pierce County. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, mostly devoted to agriculture.[7] The terrain generally slopes to the north and east, with its highest point a hill near the SW county corner, at 1,634 ft (498 m) ASL.[8]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,082.466 square miles (2,803.57 km2), of which 1,018.285 square miles (2,637.35 km2) is land and 64.181 square miles (166.23 km2) (5.93%) is water.[9] It is the 37th largest county in North Dakota by total area.[10]
Major highways
Transit
Adjacent counties
- Rolette County - north
- Towner County - northeast
- Benson County - east
- Wells County - southeast
- Sheridan County - southwest
- McHenry County - west
- Bottineau County - northwest
Protected areas
Source:[7]
- Boyer National Wildlife Refuge
- Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge
- Hurricane Lake National Wildlife Refuge
- Meyer Township National Wildlife Refuge
Lakes
Source:[7]
- Antelope Lakes
- Aylmer Lake (part)
- Battema Lake
- Buffalo Lake
- Clear Lake
- Davis Lake
- Girard Lake
- Goose Lake
- Gunderson Lake
- Guss Lake
- Horseshoe Lake
- Kilgore Lake
- Lesmeister Lake
- Long Lake
- Petrified Lake
- Ranch Lake
- Round Lake
- Sand Lake
- Smoky Lake (part)
- Twin Lakes (part)
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 905 | — | |
| 1900 | 4,765 | 426.5% | |
| 1910 | 9,740 | 104.4% | |
| 1920 | 9,283 | −4.7% | |
| 1930 | 9,074 | −2.3% | |
| 1940 | 9,208 | 1.5% | |
| 1950 | 8,326 | −9.6% | |
| 1960 | 7,394 | −11.2% | |
| 1970 | 6,323 | −14.5% | |
| 1980 | 6,166 | −2.5% | |
| 1990 | 5,052 | −18.1% | |
| 2000 | 4,675 | −7.5% | |
| 2010 | 4,357 | −6.8% | |
| 2020 | 3,990 | −8.4% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 3,853 | [11] | −3.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010–2020[2] | |||
As of the fourth quarter of 2024, the median home value in Pierce County was $151,940.[16]
As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 1,840 estimated households in Pierce County with an average of 2.07 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $63,214. Approximately 11.0% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Pierce County has an estimated 59.9% employment rate, with 27.9% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 93.9% holding a high school diploma.[2]
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (97.4%), Spanish (0.3%), Indo-European (1.8%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.5%), and Other (0.0%).
The median age in the county was 44.3 years.
Pierce County, North Dakota – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
| Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980[17] | Pop. 1990[18] | Pop. 2000[19] | Pop. 2010[20] | Pop. 2020[21] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 6,079 (98.59%) |
5,011 (99.19%) |
4,584 (98.05%) |
4,084 (93.73%) |
3,611 (90.50%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 0 (0.00%) |
2 (0.04%) |
4 (0.09%) |
19 (0.44%) |
36 (0.90%) |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 20 (0.32%) |
23 (0.46%) |
32 (0.68%) |
169 (3.88%) |
146 (3.66%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 28 (0.45%) |
15 (0.30%) |
12 (0.26%) |
3 (0.07%) |
17 (0.43%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 0 (0.00%) |
1 (0.02%) |
5 (0.13%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 14 (0.23%) |
0 (0.00%) |
0 (0.00%) |
4 (0.09%) |
10 (0.25%) |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 15 (0.32%) |
33 (0.76%) |
93 (2.33%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 25 (0.41%) |
1 (0.02%) |
28 (0.60%) |
44 (1.01%) |
72 (1.80%) |
| Total | 6,166 (100.00%) |
5,052 (100.00%) |
4,675 (100.00%) |
4,357 (100.00%) |
3,990 (100.00%) |
2024 estimate
As of the 2024 estimate, there were 3,853 people and 1,840 households residing in the county. There were 2,049 housing units at an average density of 2.01 per square mile (0.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.9% White (89.2% NH White), 0.8% African American, 5.1% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.1% of the population.[22]
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 3,990 people, 1,719 households, and 1,041 families residing in the county.[23] The population density was 3.92 inhabitants per square mile (1.5/km2). There were 2,040 housing units at an average density of 2.00 per square mile (0.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.15% White, 0.95% African American, 3.66% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from some other races and 3.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.80% of the population.[24]
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 4,357 people, 1,835 households, and 1,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 4.28 inhabitants per square mile (1.7/km2). There were 2,199 housing units at an average density of 2.16 per square mile (0.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.10% White, 0.46% African American, 3.90% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from some other races and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.01% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 52.3% were German, 34.5% were Norwegian, 5.5% were Irish, and 2.0% were American.
Of the 1,835 households, 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.6% were non-families, and 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 46.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,091 and the median income for a family was $55,304. Males had a median income of $39,511 versus $21,811 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,575. About 6.4% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 19.2% of those age 65 or over.
Population by decade
Communities
Cities
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Source:[7]
- Leverich
- Silva
- Tunbridge
Townships
- Alexanter
- Antelope Lake
- Balta
- Elling
- Elverum
- Hagel
- Jefferson
- Meyer
- Ness
- Reno Valley
- Rush Lake
- Torgerson
- Truman
- Tuscarora
- White
Politics
Pierce County voters have tended to vote Republican for decades. In only one national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 1,493 | 75.79% | 439 | 22.28% | 38 | 1.93% |
| 2020 | 1,585 | 74.48% | 497 | 23.36% | 46 | 2.16% |
| 2016 | 1,437 | 69.39% | 431 | 20.81% | 203 | 9.80% |
| 2012 | 1,465 | 67.26% | 660 | 30.30% | 53 | 2.43% |
| 2008 | 1,301 | 60.82% | 792 | 37.03% | 46 | 2.15% |
| 2004 | 1,475 | 67.20% | 686 | 31.25% | 34 | 1.55% |
| 2000 | 1,348 | 68.39% | 500 | 25.37% | 123 | 6.24% |
| 1996 | 1,017 | 51.52% | 671 | 33.99% | 286 | 14.49% |
| 1992 | 1,099 | 45.21% | 761 | 31.30% | 571 | 23.49% |
| 1988 | 1,422 | 57.41% | 1,008 | 40.69% | 47 | 1.90% |
| 1984 | 1,883 | 71.71% | 691 | 26.31% | 52 | 1.98% |
| 1980 | 2,273 | 76.07% | 517 | 17.30% | 198 | 6.63% |
| 1976 | 1,396 | 48.35% | 1,434 | 49.67% | 57 | 1.97% |
| 1972 | 1,970 | 66.15% | 973 | 32.67% | 35 | 1.18% |
| 1968 | 1,700 | 57.07% | 1,048 | 35.18% | 231 | 7.75% |
| 1964 | 1,178 | 38.33% | 1,893 | 61.60% | 2 | 0.07% |
| 1960 | 1,464 | 44.19% | 1,848 | 55.78% | 1 | 0.03% |
| 1956 | 1,997 | 59.75% | 1,340 | 40.10% | 5 | 0.15% |
| 1952 | 2,806 | 77.77% | 773 | 21.42% | 29 | 0.80% |
| 1948 | 1,738 | 58.86% | 1,147 | 38.84% | 68 | 2.30% |
| 1944 | 1,992 | 60.07% | 1,307 | 39.41% | 17 | 0.51% |
| 1940 | 2,349 | 61.64% | 1,451 | 38.07% | 11 | 0.29% |
| 1936 | 912 | 24.23% | 2,168 | 57.60% | 684 | 18.17% |
| 1932 | 856 | 25.68% | 2,439 | 73.18% | 38 | 1.14% |
| 1928 | 1,469 | 47.60% | 1,606 | 52.04% | 11 | 0.36% |
| 1924 | 1,160 | 46.89% | 157 | 6.35% | 1,157 | 46.77% |
| 1920 | 2,102 | 84.59% | 294 | 11.83% | 89 | 3.58% |
| 1916 | 703 | 44.27% | 789 | 49.69% | 96 | 6.05% |
| 1912 | 264 | 22.39% | 453 | 38.42% | 462 | 39.19% |
| 1908 | 884 | 57.37% | 610 | 39.58% | 47 | 3.05% |
| 1904 | 921 | 73.39% | 284 | 22.63% | 50 | 3.98% |
| 1900 | 535 | 64.93% | 276 | 33.50% | 13 | 1.58% |
Education
School districts include:[27]
- Anamoose Public School District 14
- Bottineau Public School District 1
- Harvey Public School District 38
- Leeds Public School District 6
- Maddock Public School District 9
- North Star School District 10
- Rugby Public School District 5
- Towner-Granville-Upham Public School District 60
Former districts:
- Wolford Public School District 1[27] - Closed in 2019[28]
See also
References
- ^ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ a b c "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Pierce County, North Dakota". www.census.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "Dakota Territory, South Dakota, and North Dakota: Individual County Chronologies". publications.newberry.org. The Newberry Library. 2006. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "County History". www.nd.gov. State of North Dakota. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "North America's Geographical Center May Be in a North Dakota Town Called Center". The New York Times. January 25, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Pierce County, North Dakota". Google Maps. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ ""Find an Altitude/Pierce County ND" Google Maps (accessed February 26, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
- ^ "2024 County Gazetteer Files – North Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Pierce County, North Dakota". www.census.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. 2007. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- ^ Forstall, Richard L. (April 20, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 19, 1999. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- ^ "County Median Home Price". National Association of Realtors. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "Pierce County, North Dakota — Population by Race". CensusScope. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ "1990 Census of Population: General Population Characteristics North Dakota" (PDF). www.census.gov. October 6, 2022. p. 20. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Pierce County, North Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Pierce County, North Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Pierce County, North Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "County Population by Characteristics: 2020-2023". www.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ "How many people live in Pierce County, North Dakota". USA Today. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- ^ The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 276 votes, while Socialist Eugene Debs received 159 votes, Prohibition candidate Eugene Chafin received 27 votes.
- ^ a b 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Pierce County, ND (PDF) (Map). United States Census Bureau. January 15, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2025. - Text list Text list - The map shows Wolford district's boundaries even though it was disestablished in 2019.
- ^ "Enrollment History Public School Districts 2009-2021". North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. Retrieved August 19, 2021. - Check the 2019-2020 spreadsheet, which does not list Wolford, while previous years do.
External links
- Pierce County – official website
- A history of Pierce County (1936) from the Digital Horizons website
- Fifty years in Pierce county (1943) from the Digital Horizons website
- Pierce County maps, Sheet 1 (northern) and Sheet 2 (southern), North Dakota DOT