Burleigh County, North Dakota
County in North Dakota, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Burleigh County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 98,458,[1] and was estimated to be 103,251 in 2025,[2] making it the second-most populous county in North Dakota. The county seat and the largest city is Bismarck,[3] the state capital and second-largest city in North Dakota. The county was named for Dakota Territory political figure Walter A. Burleigh.
United StatesJuly 16, 1873 (organized)
Burleigh County, North Dakota | |
|---|---|
The Burleigh County Courthouse in Bismarck | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of North Dakota | |
| Coordinates: 46.9788°N 100.4695°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State |  North Dakota |
| Founded | January 4, 1873 (created) July 16, 1873 (organized) |
| Named after | Walter A. Burleigh |
| Seat | Bismarck |
| Largest city | Bismarck |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,668.482 sq mi (4,321.35 km2) |
| • Land | 1,632.694 sq mi (4,228.66 km2) |
| • Water | 35.788 sq mi (92.69 km2) 2.14% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 98,458 |
• Estimate (2025) | 103,251  |
| • Density | 60.304/sq mi (23.284/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 701 |
| Congressional district | At-large |
| Website | burleigh.gov |
Burleigh County is included in the Bismarck metropolitan area.
History
Burleigh County was created on January 4, 1873, by the Dakota Territory legislature, annexing territory from Buffalo County. Burleigh was not organized at the time, but the organization began on July 16, 1873.[4][5] Its boundaries were altered in 1879, 1881, 1883, and twice in 1885.
Geography
The Missouri River flows south-southeasterly along the lower west boundary line of Burleigh County. The central part of the county is drained by south-flowing creeks. The county terrain consists of semi-arid low rolling hills, partially devoted to agriculture.[6] The terrain slopes to the south, and its western portion also slopes to the river valley. The terrain's highest point is on the upper portion of the east boundary line, at 2,060 ft (630 m) ASL.[7]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,668.482 square miles (4,321.35 km2), of which 1,632.694 square miles (4,228.66 km2) is land and 35.788 square miles (92.69 km2) (2.14%) is water.[8] It is the 13th largest county in North Dakota by total area.[9]
Major highways
Transit
- Bis-Man Transit (Capital Area Transit)
- Jefferson Lines
Adjacent counties
- Sheridan County – north
- Kidder County – east
- Emmons County – south
- Morton County – southwest
- Oliver County – west
- McLean County – northwest
Protected areas
- Arena State Game Management Area
- Bunker Lake State Game Management Area
- Canfield Lake National Wildlife Refuge
- Florence Lake National Wildlife Refuge
- Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Sibley Nature Park
- Wilton Mine State Game Management Area (part)
Lakes
- Bunce Lake
- Bunker Lake
- Clear Lake
- Florence Lake
- Grass Lake
- Harriet Lake
- Horseshoe Lake
- Lonetree Lake
- Long Lake
- Mitchell Lake
- New Johns Lake (part)
- O'Brien Lake
- Pelican Lake
- Rice Lake
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 3,246 | — | |
| 1890 | 4,247 | 30.8% | |
| 1900 | 6,081 | 43.2% | |
| 1910 | 13,087 | 115.2% | |
| 1920 | 15,578 | 19.0% | |
| 1930 | 19,769 | 26.9% | |
| 1940 | 22,736 | 15.0% | |
| 1950 | 25,673 | 12.9% | |
| 1960 | 34,016 | 32.5% | |
| 1970 | 40,714 | 19.7% | |
| 1980 | 54,811 | 34.6% | |
| 1990 | 60,131 | 9.7% | |
| 2000 | 69,416 | 15.4% | |
| 2010 | 81,308 | 17.1% | |
| 2020 | 98,458 | 21.1% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 103,251 | [10] | 4.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13] 1990–2000[14] 2010–2020[2] | |||
As of the third quarter of 2025, the median home value in Burleigh County was $338,255.[15]
As of the 2024 American Community Survey, there are 42,881 estimated households in Burleigh County with an average of 2.31 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $88,701. Approximately 7.5% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Burleigh County has an estimated 66.7% employment rate, with 42.4% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 94.8% holding a high school diploma.[2] There were 44,541 housing units at an average density of 27.28 per square mile (10.5/km2).
The median age in the county was 39.7 years.
| Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980[16] | Pop. 1990[17] | Pop. 2000[18] | Pop. 2010[19] | Pop. 2020[20] | Pop. 2024[21] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 53,249 (97.15%) | 57,919 (96.32%) | 65,686 (94.63%) | 75,054 (92.31%) | 84,349 (85.67%) | 88,204 (85.55%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 46 (0.08%) | 66 (0.11%) | 166 (0.24%) | 476 (0.59%) | 2,227 (2.26%) | 2,446 (2.37%) |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 1,028 (1.88%) | 1,552 (2.58%) | 2,236 (3.22%) | 3,284 (4.04%) | 4,053 (4.12%) | 4,402 (4.27%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 193 (0.35%) | 214 (0.36%) | 271 (0.39%) | 386 (0.47%) | 1,043 (1.06%) | 1,284 (1.25%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 18 (0.03%) | 26 (0.03%) | 316 (0.32%) | 1,040 (1.01%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 92 (0.17%) | 19 (0.03%) | 21 (0.03%) | 54 (0.07%) | 210 (0.21%) | — |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 550 (0.79%) | 1,042 (1.28%) | 3,176 (3.23%) | 2,090 (2.03%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 203 (0.37%) | 361 (0.60%) | 468 (0.67%) | 986 (1.21%) | 3,084 (3.13%) | 3,641 (3.53%) |
| Total | 54,811 (100.00%) | 60,131 (100.00%) | 69,416 (100.00%) | 81,308 (100.00%) | 98,458 (100.00%) | 103,251 (100.00%) |
2024 estimate
As of the 2024 estimate, there were 103,107 people, 42,881 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was 63.15 inhabitants per square mile (24.4/km2). There were 44,541 housing units at an average density of 27.28 per square mile (10.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.06% White, 2.51% African American, 4.88% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 1.05% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 2.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.53% of the population.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 98,458 people, 39,927 households, and 24,822 families residing in the county.[22] The population density was 60.30 inhabitants per square mile (23.3/km2). There were 42,692 housing units at an average density of 26.15 per square mile (10.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 86.48% White, 2.32% African American, 4.32% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 1.13% from some other races and 4.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.13% of the population.[23]
There were 39,927 households in the county, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Among occupied housing units, 69.0% were owner-occupied and 31.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.0%.
Of the residents, 23.2% were under the age of 18 and 16.8% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 37.6 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.8 males.[24]
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 81,308 people, 33,976 households, and 21,213 families residing in the county. The population density was 49.8 inhabitants per square mile (19.2/km2). There were 35,754 housing units at an average density of 21.90 per square mile (8.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.02% White, 0.59% African American, 4.17% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from some other races and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.21% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 61.0% were German, 21.1% were Norwegian, 8.1% were Russian, 6.8% were Irish, and 2.6% were American.
There were 33,976 households, 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.6% were non-families, and 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 37.3 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $53,465 and the median income for a family was $71,103. Males had a median income of $44,944 versus $31,943 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,784. About 6.3% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
Population by decade
Communities
Cities
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Townships
- Apple Creek
- Boyd
- Canfield
- Christiania
- Clear Lake
- Crofte
- Cromwell
- Driscoll
- Ecklund
- Estherville
- Francis
- Ghylin
- Gibbs
- Glenview
- Grass Lake
- Harriet-Lein
- Hazel Grove
- Hay Creek
- Logan
- Long Lake
- McKenzie
- Menoken
- Missouri
- Morton
- Naughton
- Painted Woods
- Richmond
- Rock Hill
- Schrunk-Steiber
- Sibley Butte
- Sterling
- Taft
- Telfer
- Thelma
- Trygg
- Wild Rose
- Wilson
- Wing
Unorganized territories
Politics
Burleigh County voters have voted Republican for several decades. With the exception of 1964, no Democratic Party candidate has received even 40 percent of the county's vote after 1940.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1900 | 679 | 66.44% | 339 | 33.17% | 4 | 0.39% |
| 1904 | 1,340 | 83.23% | 237 | 14.72% | 33 | 2.05% |
| 1908 | 1,375 | 65.82% | 660 | 31.59% | 54 | 2.58% |
| 1912 | 720 | 36.20% | 609 | 30.62% | 660 | 33.18% |
| 1916 | 1,182 | 45.46% | 1,267 | 48.73% | 151 | 5.81% |
| 1920 | 4,300 | 77.28% | 943 | 16.95% | 321 | 5.77% |
| 1924 | 3,152 | 53.17% | 379 | 6.39% | 2,397 | 40.44% |
| 1928 | 3,955 | 55.59% | 3,076 | 43.23% | 84 | 1.18% |
| 1932 | 2,687 | 31.84% | 5,621 | 66.61% | 131 | 1.55% |
| 1936 | 2,447 | 25.17% | 6,314 | 64.94% | 962 | 9.89% |
| 1940 | 5,858 | 57.06% | 4,350 | 42.37% | 58 | 0.56% |
| 1944 | 4,616 | 59.95% | 3,061 | 39.75% | 23 | 0.30% |
| 1948 | 5,049 | 59.45% | 3,117 | 36.70% | 327 | 3.85% |
| 1952 | 9,526 | 79.55% | 2,400 | 20.04% | 49 | 0.41% |
| 1956 | 9,199 | 73.79% | 3,231 | 25.92% | 37 | 0.30% |
| 1960 | 9,492 | 62.13% | 5,761 | 37.71% | 25 | 0.16% |
| 1964 | 7,239 | 46.95% | 8,120 | 52.66% | 60 | 0.39% |
| 1968 | 10,661 | 64.03% | 5,139 | 30.87% | 849 | 5.10% |
| 1972 | 13,909 | 67.38% | 5,841 | 28.29% | 894 | 4.33% |
| 1976 | 13,680 | 58.09% | 9,188 | 39.02% | 681 | 2.89% |
| 1980 | 18,437 | 67.94% | 6,129 | 22.59% | 2,571 | 9.47% |
| 1984 | 19,913 | 68.25% | 8,781 | 30.10% | 482 | 1.65% |
| 1988 | 18,000 | 61.89% | 10,760 | 37.00% | 324 | 1.11% |
| 1992 | 16,484 | 50.90% | 8,940 | 27.61% | 6,960 | 21.49% |
| 1996 | 15,464 | 51.74% | 10,679 | 35.73% | 3,747 | 12.54% |
| 2000 | 22,467 | 65.16% | 9,842 | 28.54% | 2,173 | 6.30% |
| 2004 | 26,577 | 68.47% | 11,621 | 29.94% | 616 | 1.59% |
| 2008 | 25,443 | 60.58% | 15,600 | 37.14% | 956 | 2.28% |
| 2012 | 27,951 | 64.42% | 14,122 | 32.55% | 1,314 | 3.03% |
| 2016 | 32,532 | 67.80% | 10,881 | 22.68% | 4,566 | 9.52% |
| 2020 | 34,744 | 68.46% | 14,348 | 28.27% | 1,661 | 3.27% |
| 2024 | 36,595 | 70.02% | 14,215 | 27.20% | 1,453 | 2.78% |
Education
School districts include:[26]
K-12:
- Bismarck Public Schools, District 1, Bismarck
- Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock Public School, District 6, Hazelton
- Kidder County School, District 1, Steele
- McClusky School District, District 19, McClusky
- Wilton Public School, District 1, Wilton - Formerly known as the Montefiore Public School District 1[27]
- Wing School District, District 28, Wing
Elementary:
- Apple Creek Public School, District 39, Apple Creek
- Manning Public School, District 45, Manning
- Menoken Public School, District 33, Menoken
- Naughton Public School, District 25, Naughton
- Sterling Public School, District 35, Sterling