HomeNorth DakotaCass County
Cass County, North Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Cass County, North Dakota had an estimated 200,945 residents on July 1, 2024, up 8.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 184,531, across 1,765 square miles. County output reached $19.10 bn in 2024, 5,988 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 392 7(a) approvals worth $137.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Cass County
How many people live in Cass County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024193,400
- Households83,945
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$75,555
- Median age32.8
- Median gross rent$958 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$298,000
- Home value to household income3.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher42.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over121,988
- Population under 1842,900
- Share under 1822.2 percent
- Population 65 and over25,154
- Share 65 and over13.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64125,346
- Civilian labor force115,503
- Unemployment rate3.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over76.7 percent
- Rank by population among North Dakota counties1st of 53
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included361st of 3,222
Cass County is the 1st largest of 53 North Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 3.9 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.2 percent against 13.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cass County
Is Cass County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024200,945
- Census 2020 base population184,531
- Population change since the 2020 census base8.89 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20242,788
- Births, 20242,359
- Deaths, 20241,208
- Natural change, 20241,151
- Net domestic migration, 2024-551
- Net international migration, 20242,190
- Total net migration, 20241,639
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20245,941
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents190th of 3,144
The county has grown 8.89 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Cass County
Where are people moving to Cass County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving6,087
- People arriving, from those returns9,556
- Tax returns filed by households leaving5,611
- Net household movement476
- Adjusted gross income arriving$358.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-60.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$58,911
- Average income of a leaving household$74,691
- Largest single originClay County (939 households)
- Largest single destinationClay County (837 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 939 | 1,477 | $50.3 m |
| Grand Forks County | 339 | 479 | $19.4 m |
| Burleigh County | 222 | 310 | $11.8 m |
| Otter Tail County | 167 | 246 | $12.8 m |
| Hennepin County | 166 | 254 | $10.8 m |
| Becker County | 120 | 177 | $6.8 m |
| Ward County | 118 | 194 | $7.9 m |
| Richland County | 111 | 172 | $8.5 m |
Households arriving report $15,780 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Clay 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.
Cass County
What is the Cass County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$19.10 bn
- County GDP, 2023$18.13 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.4 percent
- GDP change over five years37.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Dakota areas BEA publishes1st of 53
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes271st of 3,127
- GDP per resident$98,784
Output grew 5.4 percent in the latest year and 37.7 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.
Cass County
Employment by industry in Cass County
- Covered employment, annual average128,033
- Establishments reporting9,494
- Average annual pay$66,805
- Average weekly wage$1,285
- Health care and social assistance, employment22,662
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$71,551
- Retail trade, employment12,676
- Retail trade, average annual pay$40,332
- Manufacturing, employment10,956
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$72,039
- Accommodation and food services, employment10,521
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$25,918
- Construction, employment9,394
- Wholesale trade, employment7,956
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 22,662 | 957 | $71,551 |
| Retail trade | 12,676 | 743 | $40,332 |
| Manufacturing | 10,956 | 286 | $72,039 |
| Accommodation and food services | 10,521 | 524 | $25,918 |
| Construction | 9,394 | 984 | $78,159 |
| Wholesale trade | 7,956 | 912 | $94,389 |
| Finance and insurance | 7,281 | 630 | $95,173 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 6,754 | 322 | $55,530 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 22,662 jobs, 17.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Cass County
How many businesses are in Cass County?
- Establishments, all industries5,988
- Employment at those establishments113,306
- Annual payroll$7.14 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents31.0
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.
Cass County
Building permits in Cass County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,223
- Declared construction value permitted$351.3 m
- Single family units authorized728
- Multifamily units authorized495
- Multifamily share of units40.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$287,262
- Units authorized per 1,000 households14.6
Multifamily is 40.5 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cass County
SBA loans in Cass County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded392
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$137.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$349,684
- Median 7(a) approval$169,600
- 10th percentile approval$25,500
- 90th percentile approval$769,630
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4,246
- Jobs per approval10.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active56
- Distinct industries receiving approvals153
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer6.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms24
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter346
- Franchise loans34
- Franchise share of approvals8.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (17)
- Most active lenderBravera Bank (65)
- 504 approvals recorded345
- 504 gross approval dollars$254.6 m
- Average 504 approval$737,832
- Median 504 approval$484,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval9.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.9
- Most active CDCDakota Business Lending (197)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$391.6 m
The average approval of $349,684 sits well above the median of $169,600, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 6.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Cass County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Cass County
Do SBA loans in Cass County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded140
- Paid in full138
- Charged off2
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans1.4 percent
- Status: Paid in full138
- Status: Cancelled31
- Status: Exempt from disclosure202
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed19
Of the 140 loans that have reached a final outcome, 1.4 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
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.
Cass County
SBA lending by place in Cass County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending13
- Fargo, approvals292
- West Fargo, approvals66
- Horace, approvals12
- Harwood, approvals6
- Casselton, approvals4
- Mapleton, approvals4
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Fargo | 292 | $105,817,000 |
| West Fargo | 66 | $18,351,500 |
| Horace | 12 | $3,230,200 |
| Harwood | 6 | $1,202,800 |
| Casselton | 4 | $5,767,500 |
| Mapleton | 4 | $244,800 |
| Moorhead | 2 | $374,200 |
| Arthur | 1 | $766,300 |
| 5 other borrower cities | 5 | $1,321,900 |
Fargo accounts for 292 approvals against 66 in West Fargo. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cass County
How large is Cass County?
- Land area1,765 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Dakota counties10th of 53
- Width, east to west44.3 mi
- Height, north to south42.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land110
- Establishments per square mile3.39
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.
Cass County
Flood risk in Cass County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Cass County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 385362
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book58
- Of those, participating in the NFIP52
- NFIP participation rate89.7 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Cass 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 Cass County (community 385362), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Cass 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 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 89.7 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 Cass 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 Cass County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024193,400
- Households83,945
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$75,555
- Median age32.8
Common questions
Cass County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cass County, North Dakota?
The Census Bureau estimates 200,945 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 193,400, in 83,945 households, ranking 1st of 53 North Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cass County's population growing?
The population has grown 8.89 percent since the 2020 census base of 184,531, to 200,945 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 2,359 births against 1,208 deaths, with net migration of 1,639. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cass County?
$75,555. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $298,000, which is 3.9 times income, and median gross rent is $958 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Cass County?
5,988 establishments, employing 113,306 people with an annual payroll of $7.14 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Cass County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 22,662 jobs, 17.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 128,033 jobs at an average annual pay of $66,805, or $1,285 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cass County?
392 7(a) approvals totaling $137.1 m since FY2020, across 56 lenders, with a median approval of $169,600, plus 345 504 approvals worth $254.6 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Cass County get paid back?
Of the 140 loans that have reached a final outcome, 138 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge-off rate of 1.4 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Cass County?
1,223 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $351.3 m. Multifamily was 40.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cass 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 Cass County come from?
The largest single origin is Clay County, with 939 households. Arriving households report an average income of $58,911 against $74,691 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Cass 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 Cass 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.
Cass County
Cities and places in Cass.
30 Census places lie wholly or partly in Cass County. All 30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo | city | 131,627 | 292 | Wholly in this county |
| West Fargo | city | 40,094 | 66 | Wholly in this county |
| Horace | city | 4,588 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Casselton | city | 2,953 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Mapleton | city | 1,352 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Reile's Acres | city | 1,032 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Kindred | city | 996 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Harwood | city | 819 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Argusville | city | 584 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Oxbow | city | 491 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Arthur | city | 392 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Tower City | city | 304 | 1 | 69.4 percent here, 30.6 percent Barnes County |
| Hunter | city | 292 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Leonard | city | 248 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Davenport | city | 245 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Buffalo | city | 180 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Frontier | city | 169 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Page | city | 165 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Amenia | city | 135 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gardner | city | 125 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Grandin | city | 119 | 1 | 86.4 percent here, 13.6 percent Traill County |
| North River | city | 70 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wheatland | CDP | 70 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Briarwood | city | 60 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Erie | CDP | 58 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Prairie Rose | city | 43 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Embden | CDP | 41 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Brooktree Park | CDP | 23 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Alice | city | 18 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ayr | city | 14 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 3 of the county's 392 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Cass County, the largest being Moorhead (2), Roseburg (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.