• county
  • FIPS 38103
  • Largest town: Harvey

Wells County, North Dakota

Wells County had 3,803 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,270.5 square miles of land. It ranks 28th of 53 in North Dakota by population and 23rd by land area.

Population
3,803
#28 of 53 in North Dakota · #2,897 in US
Area
1,270.5 sq mi
#23 of 53 in North Dakota · #474 in US
Density
3.0 / sq mi
#32 of 53 in North Dakota · #2,908 in US
Median household income
$74,681
#23 of 53 in North Dakota · #689 in US

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

Wells County within North Dakota. Pin: Bismarck.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Wells County

Wells County population, land area and income

Wells County had 3,803 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,270.5 square miles of land. It ranks 28th of 53 in North Dakota by population and 23rd by land area. That works out to 3.0 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, about the same as Wells County.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $74,681 is in the top quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

3,803

3144th1st

2897th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

1,271 sq mi

3144th1st

474th of 3,144 (US)

Density

3.0 / sq mi

3144th1st

2908th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$74,681

3143rd1st

689th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within North Dakota (53)

Population

3,803

53rd1st

28th of 53 (ND)

Land area

1,271 sq mi

53rd1st

23rd of 53 (ND)

Density

3.0 / sq mi

53rd1st

32nd of 53 (ND)

Median household income

$74,681

53rd1st

23rd of 53 (ND)

How Wells County's population changed since 2020

Wells County lost 164 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 4.1%. That ranks 50th 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, Wells County recorded 126 births and 264 deaths, a natural change of -138. Net international migration added +9 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -49. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 138 people.

3,96720203,89620213,91620223,86620233,8032024
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
126
Deaths
264
Net international migration
+9
Net domestic migration
-49
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-63

Where Wells County is

The Census internal point of Wells County is at 47.580900, -99.682200. 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 Wells 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: Wells County internal point. Dark pin: Bismarck.

Internal point

Decimal
47.580900, -99.682200
DMS
47°34'51.24"N 99°40'55.92"W
UTM
14N 448700.3E 5269946.2N
Geohash
cb3netvdu
Plus code
86V2H8J9+94

Towns in Wells County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Wells County, 1,564 people together, or 41% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Wells County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Harvey with 1,564.

  1. 01Harvey1,564
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Wells County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Wells County. The most populous is Stutsman County, ND, with 21,546 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Bismarck and the nearest big city

Bismarck is 73.7 miles SW of Wells County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Fargo, ND (population 136,285), 142.7 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Jamestown, ND (population 15,789), 65.7 miles away.

Wells County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Wells County is 38103: state code 38 for North Dakota plus county code 103. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $74,681.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Wells County, North Dakota?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 3,803. That is down 164 people (4.1%) from the July 2020 estimate of 3,967.

What is the FIPS code of Wells County?

38103. The first two digits (38) are North Dakota; the last three (103) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Wells County?

Harvey, with 1,564 residents inside Wells County in 2024.

Which counties border Wells County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Stutsman County, ND; Benson County, ND; Pierce County, ND; Foster County, ND; Kidder County, ND; Eddy 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.