Turtle Lake, North Dakota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 500, Turtle Lake'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

Turtle Lake is a small community located in North Dakota, within McLean County. The total population is 500. It ranks as the 105th most populous out of 402 Census-designated places in North Dakota.

Age Demographics

The median age in Turtle Lake is 50.3 years. This is 40% higher than the state median of 35.9 years. 11.6% 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 Turtle Lake is $67,639. This is 12% lower than the state median of $76,657. It is also 16% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.1%. This is 12% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.8%. The survey records no unemployed residents in Turtle Lake, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $120,100. Housing costs are 52% lower than the state median of $249,900. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.8x, Turtle Lake is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 80.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 29% higher than the state average of 62.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Turtle Lake has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 86.4% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 4.0%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (3.0% vs 1.6%).

Education

22.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 33% 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 95.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Turtle Lake, 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.