North Dakota statistical areas

The U.S. State of North Dakota currently has nine statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). On July 21, 2023, the OMB delineated one combined statistical area, four metropolitan statistical areas, and four micropolitan statistical areas in North Dakota.^[1] As of 2023, the largest of these is the Fargo-Wahpeton, ND-MN CSA, comprising the area around Fargo, North Dakota's largest city.

Background

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has designated more than 1,000 statistical areas for the United States and Puerto Rico.^[2] These statistical areas are important geographic delineations of population clusters used by the OMB, the United States Census Bureau, planning organizations, and federal, state, and local government entities.

The OMB defines a core-based statistical area (commonly referred to as a CBSA) as the county or counties (or county-equivalents) surrounding at least one densely-settled core of at least 10,000 population,^[2] "plus adjacent counties having a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured through commuting ties with the counties containing the core".^[2] The OMB further divides core-based statistical areas based on population into metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for those with at least 50,000 and micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs) for those with 10,000 to 49,999 people.^[2]

The OMB defines a combined statistical area (CSA) as two or more adjacent core-based statistical areas where the employment interchange rate (% commuting from A to B plus % commuting from B to A) is at least 15%.^[2] The primary statistical areas (PSAs) include all combined statistical areas and any core-based statistical area that is not a constituent of a combined statistical area.

Table

The nine United States statistical areas and 53 counties of the State of North Dakota^[a]
Combined statistical area^[1]	2023 population (est.)^[3]	Core-based statistical area^[1]	2023 population (est.)^[3]	County	2023 population (est.)^[3]
Fargo-Wahpeton, ND-MN CSA	285,484 212,920 (ND)	Fargo, ND-MN MSA	262,620 196,362 (ND)	Cass County, North Dakota	196,362
		Fargo, ND-MN MSA	262,620 196,362 (ND)	Clay County, Minnesota	66,258
		Wahpeton, ND-MN μSA	22,864 16,558 (ND)	Richland County, North Dakota	16,558
		Wahpeton, ND-MN μSA	22,864 16,558 (ND)	Wilkin County, Minnesota	6,306
none		Bismarck, ND MSA	135,786	Burleigh County, North Dakota	100,012
				Morton County, North Dakota	33,895
				Oliver County, North Dakota	1,879
		Minot, ND MSA	75,742	Ward County, North Dakota	68,332
				McHenry County, North Dakota	5,131
				Renville County, North Dakota	2,279
		Grand Forks, ND-MN MSA	103,120 72,708 (ND)	Grand Forks County, North Dakota	72,708
		Grand Forks, ND-MN MSA	103,120 72,708 (ND)	Polk County, Minnesota	30,412
		Williston, ND μSA	39,113	Williams County, North Dakota	39,113
		Dickinson, ND μSA	38,054	Stark County, North Dakota	33,001
				Dunn County, North Dakota	4,019
				Billings County, North Dakota	1,034
		Jamestown, ND μSA	21,392	Stutsman County, North Dakota	21,392
		none		McKenzie County, North Dakota	14,252
				Rolette County, North Dakota	11,728
				Ramsey County, North Dakota	11,463
				Barnes County, North Dakota	10,726
				Walsh County, North Dakota	10,305
				McLean County, North Dakota	9,832
				Mountrail County, North Dakota	9,383
				Mercer County, North Dakota	8,309
				Traill County, North Dakota	7,908
				Pembina County, North Dakota	6,661
				Bottineau County, North Dakota	6,349
				Benson County, North Dakota	5,745
				Ransom County, North Dakota	5,603
				Dickey County, North Dakota	4,900
				LaMoure County, North Dakota	4,096
				Pierce County, North Dakota	3,902
				Wells County, North Dakota	3,876
				Sargent County, North Dakota	3,776
				Sioux County, North Dakota	3,643
				Cavalier County, North Dakota	3,596
				Foster County, North Dakota	3,309
				Emmons County, North Dakota	3,224
				Bowman County, North Dakota	2,867
				Nelson County, North Dakota	2,991
				McIntosh County, North Dakota	2,488
				Hettinger County, North Dakota	2,415
				Kidder County, North Dakota	2,342
				Eddy County, North Dakota	2,263
				Griggs County, North Dakota	2,248
				Grant County, North Dakota	2,215
				Adams County, North Dakota	2,163
				Divide County, North Dakota	2,135
				Burke County, North Dakota	2,134
				Towner County, North Dakota	2,030
				Logan County, North Dakota	1,869
				Steele County, North Dakota	1,782
				Golden Valley County, North Dakota	1,743
				Sheridan County, North Dakota	1,266
				Slope County, North Dakota	674
State of North Dakota					783,926

Primary statistical areas

Primary statistical areas (PSAs) include all combined statistical areas and any core-based statistical area that is not a constituent of a combined statistical area. Of the nine statistical areas of North Dakota, seven are PSAs comprising one combined statistical area, three metropolitan statistical areas and three micropolitan statistical areas.

The seven primary statistical areas of the State of North Dakota^[b]
2020 rank	Primary statistical area^[1]	Population
2020 rank	Primary statistical area^[1]	2023 estimate^[3]	Change	2020 Census^[4]	Change	2010 Census^[5]
1	Fargo-Wahpeton, ND-MN CSA (ND)	212,920	+5.90%	201,054	+21.04%	166,099
2	Bismarck, ND MSA	135,786	+1.62%	133,626	+20.79%	110,625
3	Minot, ND MSA	75,742	−2.33%	77,546	+11.51%	69,540
4	Grand Forks, ND-MN MSA (ND)	72,708	−0.63%	73,170	+9.44%	66,861
5	Williston, ND μSA	39,113	−4.49%	40,950	+82.83%	22,398
6	Dickinson, ND μSA	37,466	−3.15%	38,686	+35.65%	28,518
7	Jamestown, ND μSA	21,392	−0.93%	21,593	+2.34%	21,100
	Fargo-Wahpeton, ND-MN CSA	285,484	+4.62%	272,878	+17.79%	231,674
	Grand Forks, ND-MN MSA	103,120	−1.19%	104,362	+5.99%	98,461

Notes

^ An out-of-state area and its population are displayed in green. An area that extends into more than one state is displayed in purple. A purple population number over a black population number show the total population versus the in-state population. The state's abbreviation is also shown next to the in-state total.
^ For PSAs comprising populations from multiple states, they are listed twice to show both their intrastate population within that PSA as well as the PSA's total population. Only the intrastate population is ranked.