Portal, North Dakota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 129, Portal'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

Portal is a small community located in North Dakota, within Burke County. The total population is 129. It ranks as the 212th most populous out of 402 Census-designated places in North Dakota.

Age Demographics

The median age in Portal is 31.8 years. This is 11% lower than the state median of 35.9 years. Only 14.0% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Portal is $115,642. This is 51% higher than the state median of $76,657. It is also 43% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 14.7%. This is 36% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.8%. The unemployment rate is 7.5%. This is 172% higher than the state rate of 2.8%. The median home value is $87,200. Housing costs are 65% lower than the state median of $249,900. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 0.8x, Portal is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 31.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 51% lower than the state average of 62.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Portal is White (non-Hispanic), making up 53.5% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 28.7%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (28.7% vs 3.3%). The Hispanic or Latino population (1.6%) is well below the state average of 4.7%.

Education

42.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Portal in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 30% 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 94.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Portal, 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.