HomeNorth DakotaBarnes County
Barnes County, North Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Barnes County, North Dakota had an estimated 10,798 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 10,840, across 1,492 square miles. County output reached $853.0 m in 2024, 349 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $1.5 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Barnes County
How many people live in Barnes County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202410,773
- Households4,908
- Average household size2.19
- Median household income$68,038
- Median age43.5
- Median gross rent$779 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$173,700
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher30.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,530
- Population under 182,126
- Share under 1819.7 percent
- Population 65 and over2,517
- Share 65 and over23.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,130
- Civilian labor force5,554
- Unemployment rate3.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.2 percent
- Rank by population among North Dakota counties13th of 53
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2434th of 3,222
Barnes County is the 13th largest of 53 North Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.4 percent against 19.7 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Barnes County
Is Barnes County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202410,798
- Census 2020 base population10,840
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.39 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202431
- Births, 202485
- Deaths, 2024111
- Natural change, 2024-26
- Net domestic migration, 2024-27
- Net international migration, 202484
- Total net migration, 202457
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-49
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1984th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.39 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Barnes County
Where are people moving to Barnes County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving236
- People arriving, from those returns366
- Tax returns filed by households leaving231
- Net household movement5
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.9 m
- Average income of an arriving household$47,258
- Average income of a leaving household$56,394
- Largest single originCass County (63 households)
- Largest single destinationCass County (86 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 63 | 103 | $2.8 m |
Households arriving report $9,136 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Cass County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Barnes County
What is the Barnes County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$853.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$963.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-11.5 percent
- GDP change over five years26.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Dakota areas BEA publishes18th of 53
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1979th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$79,183
Output grew -11.5 percent in the latest year and 26.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Barnes County
Employment by industry in Barnes County
- Covered employment, annual average4,474
- Establishments reporting458
- Average annual pay$51,625
- Average weekly wage$993
- Health care and social assistance, employment853
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$44,450
- Manufacturing, employment466
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$81,362
- Retail trade, employment444
- Retail trade, average annual pay$32,156
- Accommodation and food services, employment363
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,024
- Wholesale trade, employment293
- Construction, employment253
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 853 | 36 | $44,450 |
| Manufacturing | 466 | 16 | $81,362 |
| Retail trade | 444 | 41 | $32,156 |
| Accommodation and food services | 363 | 29 | $19,024 |
| Wholesale trade | 293 | 40 | $77,260 |
| Construction | 253 | 50 | $61,364 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 166 | 30 | $74,719 |
| Other services, except public administration | 114 | 20 | $36,508 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 853 jobs, 19.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Barnes County
How many businesses are in Barnes County?
- Establishments, all industries349
- Employment at those establishments3,389
- Annual payroll$148.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents32.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Barnes County
Building permits in Barnes County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$1.1 m
- Single family units authorized1
- Multifamily units authorized2
- Multifamily share of units66.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$366,667
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.6
Multifamily is 66.7 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Barnes County
SBA loans in Barnes County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$258,150
- Median 7(a) approval$225,000
- Largest single approval$506,900
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)30
- Jobs per approval5.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals16.7 percent
- 504 approvals recorded11
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.2 m
- Average 504 approval$468,636
- Median 504 approval$269,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval7.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.3
- Most active CDCDakota Business Lending (8)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$6.7 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barnes County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Barnes County
Do SBA loans in Barnes County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Paid in full1
Only 1 loan has reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barnes County
How large is Barnes County?
- Land area1,492 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Dakota counties15th of 53
- Width, east to west37.1 mi
- Height, north to south42.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land7
- Establishments per square mile0.23
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Barnes County
Flood risk in Barnes County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Barnes County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 380339
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate71.4 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 9
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Barnes County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Barnes County (community 380339), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Barnes County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 9, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 71.4 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Barnes County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Barnes County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202410,773
- Households4,908
- Average household size2.19
- Median household income$68,038
- Median age43.5
Common questions
Barnes County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Barnes County, North Dakota?
The Census Bureau estimates 10,798 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 10,773, in 4,908 households, ranking 13th of 53 North Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Barnes County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.39 percent since the 2020 census base of 10,840, to 10,798 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 85 births against 111 deaths, with net migration of 57. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Barnes County?
$68,038. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $173,700, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $779 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Barnes County?
349 establishments, employing 3,389 people with an annual payroll of $148.6 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Barnes County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 853 jobs, 19.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,474 jobs at an average annual pay of $51,625, or $993 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Barnes County?
6 7(a) approvals totaling $1.5 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $225,000, plus 11 504 approvals worth $5.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Barnes County?
3 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.1 m. Multifamily was 66.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Barnes County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Barnes County come from?
The largest single origin is Cass County, with 63 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,258 against $56,394 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Barnes County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Barnes County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Barnes County
Cities and places in Barnes.
14 Census places lie wholly or partly in Barnes County. All 14 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley City | city | 6,541 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Tower City | city | 304 | None recorded | 30.6 percent here, 69.4 percent Cass County |
| Oriska | city | 231 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Litchville | city | 185 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fingal | city | 174 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wimbledon | city | 159 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sanborn | city | 103 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kathryn | city | 77 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dazey | city | 62 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Nome | city | 49 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rogers | city | 26 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Leal | city | 23 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sibley | city | 20 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pillsbury | city | 10 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |