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North Dakota’s Population Shows Modest Growth in 2008

The population grew in 18 counties from 2007 to 2008.

North Dakota’s population grew to 641,481 in 2008, up 0.6 percent from 637,904 in 2007.

This month’s “Population Bulletin,” a monthly publication from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University, focuses on county population estimates released from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Division.

In North Dakota, the population grew in 18 counties from 2007 to 2008. Slope and Bowman counties had the largest percentage of growth (2.6 percent) followed by Billings, Burleigh and Cass counties (1.9 percent).

Sheridan County showed the largest percentage of decline (minus 3.8 percent) during this period, followed by Towner County (minus 3.7 percent).

The population in North Dakota continues to be centralized. The majority of North Dakotans (53.2 percent) reside in the top four populated counties (Cass, Burleigh, Grand Forks and Ward), which is up from 49.4 percent in 2000.

“The growth pattern this year was much more equally distributed between the eastern and western parts of the state,” says Richard Rathge, State Data Center director. “Of the 18 counties experiencing growth from 2007 to 2008, 55 percent of the population increase occurred in the east and 45 percent in the west.”

Among all the states in 2008, North Dakota ranked 48th in total population and had the 13th lowest population growth rate from 2007 to 2008. Two states lost population during this time. Michigan’s population was down 0.5 percent, while Rhode Island lost 0.2 percent of its population.

The fastest growing states were Utah and Arizona (2.5 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively).


NDSU Agriculture Communication

Source:Richard Rathge, (701) 231-8621, richard.rathge@ndsu.edu
Editor:Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.edu

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