Nelson County, North Dakota

Nelson County population, land area and income

Nelson County had 3,007 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 981.8 square miles of land. It ranks 34th of 53 in North Dakota by population and 41st by land area. That works out to 3.1 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; Nelson County is somewhat smaller.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $69,274 is above the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

How Nelson County's population changed since 2020

Nelson County gained 8 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.3%. That ranks 12th 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, Nelson County recorded 105 births and 227 deaths, a natural change of -122. Net international migration added +76 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +40. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 122 people.

Where Nelson County is

The Census internal point of Nelson County is at 47.918700, -98.204400. 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 Nelson County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Towns in Nelson County

No incorporated place of 1,000 or more people has residents in Nelson County. Its 3,007 residents live in smaller towns, census-designated places, or unincorporated land, which the subcounty estimates do not list at this size.

Counties bordering Nelson County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Nelson County. The most populous is Grand Forks County, ND, with 73,771 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

• Grand Forks County

  73,771 people

  35 mi E

• Ramsey County

  11,510 people

  34 mi NW

• Walsh County

  10,214 people

  39 mi NE

• Benson County

  5,756 people

  54 mi WNW

• Eddy County

  2,309 people

  35 mi WSW

• Griggs County

  2,227 people

  32 mi S

• Steele County

  1,767 people

  39 mi SE

Distance to Bismarck and the nearest big city

Bismarck is 142.5 miles WSW of Nelson County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Fargo, ND (population 136,285), 97.2 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Grand Forks, ND (population 59,845), 51.7 miles away.

Nelson County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Nelson County is 38063: state code 38 for North Dakota plus county code 063. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $69,274.