• county
  • FIPS 38055
  • Largest town: Garrison

McLean County, North Dakota

McLean County had 9,845 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 2,110.3 square miles of land. It ranks 15th of 53 in North Dakota by population and 3rd by land area.

Population
9,845
#15 of 53 in North Dakota · #2,421 in US
Area
2,110.3 sq mi
#3 of 53 in North Dakota · #265 in US
Density
4.7 / sq mi
#21 of 53 in North Dakota · #2,785 in US
Median household income
$78,277
#16 of 53 in North Dakota · #535 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

McLean County within North Dakota. Pin: Bismarck.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from McLean County

McLean County population, land area and income

McLean County had 9,845 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 2,110.3 square miles of land. It ranks 15th of 53 in North Dakota by population and 3rd by land area. That works out to 4.7 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 McLean County is 2.6 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $78,277 is in the top quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

9,845

3144th1st

2421st of 3,144 (US)

Land area

2,110 sq mi

3144th1st

265th of 3,144 (US)

Density

4.7 / sq mi

3144th1st

2785th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$78,277

3143rd1st

535th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within North Dakota (53)

Population

9,845

53rd1st

15th of 53 (ND)

Land area

2,110 sq mi

53rd1st

3rd of 53 (ND)

Density

4.7 / sq mi

53rd1st

21st of 53 (ND)

Median household income

$78,277

53rd1st

16th of 53 (ND)

How McLean County's population changed since 2020

McLean County gained 82 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.8%. That ranks 8th 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, McLean County recorded 391 births and 472 deaths, a natural change of -81. Net international migration added +29 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +119. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 119 people.

9,76320209,81920219,85120229,83620239,8452024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
391
Deaths
472
Net international migration
+29
Net domestic migration
+119
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+9

Where McLean County is

The Census internal point of McLean County is at 47.653200, -101.421900. It sits in UTM zone 14N. The map shades North Dakota's 53 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with McLean County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Burke County: -1.7%Richland County: +0.8%Wells County: -4.1%Renville County: +4.1%Dickey County: -0.6%Bottineau County: +0.3%Hettinger County: -2.0%Sargent County: -3.5%Oliver County: +0.7%McIntosh County: -2.2%Towner County: -4.1%Barnes County: -0.4%Griggs County: -3.2%Cass County: +8.7%Foster County: -1.9%Pierce County: -3.1%Sheridan County: +0.5%Stark County: -0.2%McHenry County: -3.4%Cavalier County: -3.6%Logan County: +0.0%LaMoure County: -1.1%Kidder County: -0.9%Burleigh County: +4.6%Nelson County: +0.3%Eddy County: -0.5%Slope County: -6.0%Billings County: +13.8%Ransom County: -1.8%Grand Forks County: +0.9%McLean County: +0.8%Emmons County: -2.5%Mercer County: +0.0%Morton County: +2.6%Sioux County: -4.3%Pembina County: -3.5%Walsh County: -2.9%Dunn County: -1.6%Adams County: -1.8%Ward County: -2.1%Stutsman County: -0.0%Rolette County: -4.2%Golden Valley County: +4.4%Steele County: -1.3%Traill County: +0.1%Benson County: -3.1%Mountrail County: -3.4%Williams County: -1.0%Grant County: -1.9%Ramsey County: -0.6%McKenzie County: +0.0%Bowman County: -3.2%Divide County: -3.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -3.4%
  2. < -1.9%
  3. < -0.6%
  4. < +0.3%
  5. ≥ +0.3%
no data

Orange pin: McLean County internal point. Dark pin: Bismarck.

Internal point

Decimal
47.653200, -101.421900
DMS
47°39'11.52"N 101°25'18.84"W
UTM
14N 318134.6E 5280597.7N
Geohash
c8rzh54b4
Plus code
85VWMH3H+76

Towns in McLean County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in McLean County, 2,740 people together, or 28% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside McLean County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Garrison with 1,465.

  1. 01Garrison1,465
  2. 02Washburn1,275
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering McLean County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 8 neighbors for McLean County. The most populous is Burleigh County, ND, with 103,107 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Bismarck and the nearest big city

Bismarck is 64.8 miles SSE of McLean County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Fargo, ND (population 136,285), 222.1 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Minot, ND (population 47,440), 40.8 miles away.

McLean County FIPS code

The FIPS code of McLean County is 38055: state code 38 for North Dakota plus county code 055. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $78,277.

Questions people ask

What is the population of McLean County, North Dakota?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 9,845. That is up 82 people (0.8%) from the July 2020 estimate of 9,763.

What is the FIPS code of McLean County?

38055. The first two digits (38) are North Dakota; the last three (055) identify the county.

What is the largest town in McLean County?

Garrison, with 1,465 residents inside McLean County in 2024.

Which counties border McLean County?

8 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Burleigh County, ND; Ward County, ND; Mountrail County, ND; Mercer County, ND; McHenry County, ND; Dunn County, ND; Oliver County, ND; Sheridan County, ND.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.