McKenzie County, North Dakota

McKenzie County population, land area and income

McKenzie County had 14,782 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 2,760.1 square miles of land. It is the largest by land of North Dakota's 53 county-equivalents. That works out to 5.4 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and in the bottom quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in North Dakota has 3,853 residents, so McKenzie County is 3.8 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $99,157 is in the top tenth among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

How McKenzie County's population changed since 2020

McKenzie County gained 6 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.0%. That ranks 15th of 53 in North Dakota for growth. The median North Dakota county changed by -1.3%, and the state as a whole by +2.2%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, McKenzie County recorded 980 births and 391 deaths, a natural change of +589. Net international migration added +110 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -572. The largest single component was natural change, which added 589 people.

Where McKenzie County is

The Census internal point of McKenzie County is at 47.742500, -103.403200. It sits in UTM zone 13N. The map shades North Dakota's 53 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with McKenzie County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Towns in McKenzie County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in McKenzie County, 6,207 people together, or 42% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside McKenzie County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Watford City with 6,207.

Counties bordering McKenzie County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 8 neighbors for McKenzie County, including 3 across a state line. The most populous is Williams County, ND, with 40,763 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

• Williams County

  40,763 people

  43 mi N

• MT

  Richland County, MT

  11,028 people

  54 mi W

• MT

  Roosevelt County, MT

  10,197 people

  83 mi WNW

• Mountrail County

  9,474 people

  58 mi NE

• Dunn County

  4,031 people

  46 mi SE

• Golden Valley County

  1,795 people

  59 mi SSW

• Billings County

  1,063 people

  51 mi S

• MT

  Wibaux County, MT

  911 people

  68 mi SW

Distance to Bismarck and the nearest big city

Bismarck is 138.3 miles ESE of McKenzie County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Billings, MT (population 121,483), 278.5 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Williston, ND (population 28,821), 32.9 miles away.

McKenzie County FIPS code

The FIPS code of McKenzie County is 38053: state code 38 for North Dakota plus county code 053. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $99,157.