HomeNorth DakotaRansom County
Ransom County, North Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Ransom County, North Dakota had an estimated 5,590 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,701, across 862 square miles. County output reached $387.0 m in 2024, 188 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $59,000 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Ransom County
How many people live in Ransom County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,643
- Households2,337
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$75,736
- Median age43.1
- Median gross rent$691 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$193,000
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income10.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,989
- Population under 181,217
- Share under 1821.6 percent
- Population 65 and over1,246
- Share 65 and over22.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,180
- Civilian labor force2,812
- Unemployment rate2.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.5 percent
- Rank by population among North Dakota counties22nd of 53
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2841st of 3,222
Ransom County is the 22nd largest of 53 North Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.1 percent against 21.6 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.
Ransom County
Is Ransom County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20245,590
- Census 2020 base population5,701
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.95 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-16
- Births, 202447
- Deaths, 202481
- Natural change, 2024-34
- Net domestic migration, 20242
- Net international migration, 202416
- Total net migration, 202418
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-28
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2489th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.95 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Ransom County
Where are people moving to Ransom County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving108
- People arriving, from those returns189
- Tax returns filed by households leaving139
- Net household movement-31
- Adjusted gross income arriving$6.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$59,352
- Average income of a leaving household$55,129
- Largest single originCass County (32 households)
- Largest single destinationCass County (49 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 32 | 64 | $1.9 m |
Households arriving report $4,223 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. 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.
Ransom County
What is the Ransom County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$387.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$439.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-11.9 percent
- GDP change over five years49.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Dakota areas BEA publishes26th of 53
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2568th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$68,573
Output grew -11.9 percent in the latest year and 49.8 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.
Ransom County
Employment by industry in Ransom County
- Covered employment, annual average1,997
- Establishments reporting259
- Average annual pay$49,719
- Average weekly wage$956
- Manufacturing, employment250
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$68,431
- Retail trade, employment194
- Retail trade, average annual pay$28,303
- Wholesale trade, employment158
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$92,896
- Accommodation and food services, employment129
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$15,512
- Finance and insurance, employment75
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment65
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 250 | 10 | $68,431 |
| Retail trade | 194 | 20 | $28,303 |
| Wholesale trade | 158 | 19 | $92,896 |
| Accommodation and food services | 129 | 14 | $15,512 |
| Finance and insurance | 75 | 18 | $69,212 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 65 | 18 | $50,345 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 49 | 12 | $54,305 |
| Other services, except public administration | 49 | 14 | $29,864 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 250 jobs, 12.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Ransom County
How many businesses are in Ransom County?
- Establishments, all industries188
- Employment at those establishments1,414
- Annual payroll$66.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents33.3
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.
Ransom County
Building permits in Ransom County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$845,000
- Single family units authorized3
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$281,667
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.3
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ransom County
SBA loans in Ransom County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$59,000
- Average 7(a) approval$19,667
- Median 7(a) approval$20,000
- Largest single approval$25,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4
- Jobs per approval1.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term60 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 shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (3)
- 504 approvals recorded9
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.4 m
- Average 504 approval$268,778
- Median 504 approval$234,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval4.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.3
- Most active CDCLake Agassiz Certified Development Company (6)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$2.5 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.
Ransom County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Ransom County
Do SBA loans in Ransom County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Only 2 loans have 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.
Ransom County
SBA lending by place in Ransom County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Lisbon, approvals2
- Fort Ransom, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon | 2 | $45,000 |
| Fort Ransom | 1 | $14,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ransom County
How large is Ransom County?
- Land area862 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Dakota counties46th of 53
- Width, east to west36 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land7
- Establishments per square mile0.22
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.
Ransom County
Flood risk in Ransom County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Ransom County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 380089
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book22
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate27.3 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Ransom 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 Ransom County (community 380089), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Ransom 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. 27.3 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 Ransom 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 Ransom County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,643
- Households2,337
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$75,736
- Median age43.1
Common questions
Ransom County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ransom County, North Dakota?
The Census Bureau estimates 5,590 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 5,643, in 2,337 households, ranking 22nd of 53 North Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ransom County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.95 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,701, to 5,590 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 47 births against 81 deaths, with net migration of 18. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ransom County?
$75,736. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $193,000, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $691 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Ransom County?
188 establishments, employing 1,414 people with an annual payroll of $66.0 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 Ransom County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 250 jobs, 12.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,997 jobs at an average annual pay of $49,719, or $956 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ransom County?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $59,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $20,000, plus 9 504 approvals worth $2.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Ransom County?
3 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $845,000. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ransom 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 Ransom County come from?
The largest single origin is Cass County, with 32 households. Arriving households report an average income of $59,352 against $55,129 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Ransom 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 Ransom 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.
Ransom County
Cities and places in Ransom.
7 Census places lie wholly or partly in Ransom County. All 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lisbon | city | 2,259 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Enderlin | city | 985 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| McLeod | CDP | 129 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fort Ransom | city | 106 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Sheldon | city | 89 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elliott | city | 33 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Englevale | CDP | 11 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |