Fort Yates, North Dakota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 107, Fort Yates's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Fort Yates is a small community located in North Dakota, within Sioux County. The total population is 107. It ranks as the 230th most populous out of 402 Census-designated places in North Dakota.

Age Demographics

The median age in Fort Yates is 35.9 years. This is about the same as the state median of 35.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Fort Yates is $97,250. This is 27% higher than the state median of $76,657. It is also 20% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 23.4%. This is 116% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.8%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 11.9%. This is 331% higher than the state rate of 2.8%. The median home value is $129,200. Housing costs are 48% lower than the state median of $249,900. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.3x, Fort Yates is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 94.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 51% higher than the state average of 62.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Fort Yates is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. The White (non-Hispanic) population (12.2%) is well below the state average of 81.7%.

Education

34.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 5% higher 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 96.5%. Notably, 15.5% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Fort Yates, North Dakota is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against North Dakota state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 402 Census-designated places in North Dakota. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.