The State Of North Dakota: Economic, Demographic, Public Service, And Fiscal Conditions

This report is a compilation of North Dakota data. It is a general reference about socioeconomic conditions and trends in selected economic, demographic, public service, and fiscal variables. Data describing the state's economic base, population, income, employment, retail sales, human and financial resources, local government finance, health and safety, and housing are presented. Data are presented and compared at the county level, the state planning region level, and by metropolitan status. In addition, population, trade area population, taxable sales and purchases, and pull factors are presented at the municipal level. Graphic displays follow the tabular presentations of the data at the county and state planning region level. All of the data items for which county-level data were available are also illustrated for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties in the state. North Dakota's traditional dependence on agriculture and energy resulted in downturns in the state's economy during the 1980s. Since that time, efforts to diversity the economy have resulted in economic growth. Population declines during the 1980s have been reversed, although the growth rate during the 1990s was less than one percent. Much of the population growth has been in major trade centers where job opportunities exist, usually at the expense of the most rural areas of the state. This is consistent with the continuing trend of fewer and larger farms. North Dakota's population has become more educated, but older. The growing elderly population has resulted in a larger amount of federal transfer payments to retired persons in the state. Rural areas of the state generally lag behind the metropolitan areas in many measures such as population, income, employment growth, and health care. This report helps to illustrate the socioeconomic differences that exist between major trade centers and rural counties with a small population base. Documentation of the trends that have developed gives decision makers, planners, and economic development professionals a basis on which to plan future programs/policies. Policies and programs are likely to affect areas of the state differently, so the objectives need to be analyzed thoroughly to achieve the desired results.