Lignite, North Dakota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 167, Lignite'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

Lignite is a small community located in North Dakota, within Burke County. The total population is 167. It ranks as the 199th most populous out of 402 Census-designated places in North Dakota.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lignite is 39.1 years. This is 9% higher than the state median of 35.9 years. With 30.5% of the population under 18, Lignite has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lignite is $77,083. This is about the same as the state median of $76,657. It is also 5% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 4.8%. This is 56% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.8%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Lignite, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $93,000. Housing costs are 63% lower than the state median of $249,900. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.2x, Lignite is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 82.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 30% higher than the state average of 62.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Lignite has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 94.0% of all residents. Asian residents account for 4.2%. The Hispanic or Latino population (1.8%) is well below the state average of 4.7%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (4.2% vs 1.6%).

Education

26.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 18% 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 96.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Lignite, 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.