Burke County, North Dakota Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Burke County is located in North Dakota with a total population of 2,156. It is the 44th most populous county out of 53 in North Dakota. The county encompasses 7 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Burke County is 39.7 years. This is 11% higher than the state median of 35.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Burke County is $91,591. This is 19% higher than the state median of $76,657. It is also 13% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 5.9%. This is 46% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.8%. The unemployment rate is 3.7%. This is 35% higher than the state rate of 2.8%. The median home value is $158,100. Housing costs are 37% lower than the state median of $249,900. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.7x, Burke County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 75.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 20% higher than the state average of 62.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Burke County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 86.5% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.5%.

Education

22.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 30% 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 93.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Burke 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.