Bowman County, North Dakota Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Bowman County is located in North Dakota with a total population of 2,906. It is the 35th most populous county out of 53 in North Dakota. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Bowman County is 42.8 years. This is 19% higher than the state median of 35.9 years. 10.8% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Bowman County is $72,109. This is 6% lower than the state median of $76,657. It is also 11% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.4%. This is 24% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.8%. The unemployment rate is 3.1%. This is 12% higher than the state rate of 2.8%. The median home value is $164,900. Housing costs are 34% lower than the state median of $249,900. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.3x, Bowman County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 83.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 32% higher than the state average of 62.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Bowman County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 91.6% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.7%.

Education

27.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 17% lower than the state rate of 32.7%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 91.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Bowman County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against North Dakota and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.