— Official News Release, Governor Dalrymple —
North Dakota’s population has reached an all-time high of 739,482 residents, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. The state’s latest population estimate is an increase of 15,625 residents from last year’s count.
“Our economic growth over the last decade continues to keep North Dakotans home, and we are attracting new residents who come for good jobs, a stable economy and a quality of life that is second to none,” Dalrymple said.
North Dakota’s population has increased by 2.2 percent since last year, the largest percent increase in the nation. North Dakota’s population growth was followed by Nevada and Texas, each recording 1.7 percent growth. With the exception of North Dakota, the 10 fastest-growing states are located in the southern or western regions of the United States.
In the early 2000s, North Dakota was one of only a few states with a declining population. The state began to reverse that trend in 2004 with an estimated population of about 645,000 residents. Since then, North Dakota’s population has grown every year, with a total increase of about 94,000 residents.
North Dakota’s population has also been getting younger. Census data shows that the median age of North Dakota residents continued to climb between 2000 and 2008, reaching about 37.3 years of age. Since 2008, the median age of North Dakota residents has declined to last year’s 35.3 years of age, making North Dakota the fourth youngest state behind Utah, Alaska and Texas.
Additional demographic information will be released by the Census Bureau later in 2015.
