Population 3,358 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Foster County
Household size in Foster County
| Period | Foster County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.25 | 2.37 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.10 | 2.39 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.25 | 2.36 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.18 | 2.38 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
Foster County is a place of small households, averaging 2.18 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Foster County has smaller households than most North Dakota counties.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Foster County
| Period | Foster County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.4 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.5 | 37.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.9 | 37.4 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.5 | 37.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.1 | −0.8 | +2.3 |
Foster County skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.5, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Foster County
| Period | Foster County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 8.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 8.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | +0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.3% of households in Foster County, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 1.6 points, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Foster County
Renters in Foster County
| Period | Foster County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.2% | 33.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.3% | 34.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.8% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.3% | 37.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | +3.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 20.3% of households in Foster County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About six in ten owners (59.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Foster County
| Period | Foster County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.9% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.0% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 21.9% | 13.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 12.0% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | +1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Foster County: 13.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. North Dakota as a whole looks much the same.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Foster County
| Period | Foster County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1976 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1969 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +11 | +6 |
Housing in Foster County leans older: the median home dates to 1973, against 1980 nationally.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Foster County
| Period | Foster County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $375 | $573 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $575 | $716 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $681 | $862 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $772 | $1,031 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$397 | +$458 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Foster County costs $772 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 31.6% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Foster County
Bachelor's degrees in Foster County
| Period | Foster County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.5% | 27.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.0% | 28.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.0% | 31.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.6% | 33.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.2 pts | +6.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Foster County than nationally: 28.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Compared with other North Dakota counties, though, Foster County has a higher share of college graduates than most.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Foster County
| Period | Foster County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.7% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.1% | 91.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.2% | 92.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.9% | 94.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Foster County have finished high school (92.9%), above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of North Dakota.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Foster County
| Period | Foster County | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.3% | 3.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 0.7% | 3.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.6% | 2.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.0% | 2.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Foster County has been low: just 1.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Of North Dakota's 53 counties, only two have lower unemployment. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Foster County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foster County | 2.18 | 45.5 | 5.3% | 20.3% | 13.1% | 1973 | $772 | 28.6% | 92.9% | 1.0% |
| Eddy County | 1.95 | 48.0 | 6.3% | 28.0% | 12.0% | 1968 | $600 | 30.7% | 93.6% | 2.3% |
| Wells County | 2.19 | 46.1 | 5.2% | 22.9% | 18.7% | 1967 | $658 | 21.9% | 92.4% | 2.1% |
| Griggs County | 2.17 | 53.2 | 6.6% | 23.4% | 27.2% | 1957 | $532 | 26.0% | 93.1% | 1.5% |
| Stutsman County | 2.12 | 41.5 | 7.4% | 36.9% | 9.3% | 1974 | $904 | 26.1% | 93.5% | 4.1% |
| Nelson County | 2.18 | 48.7 | 5.1% | 24.9% | 24.2% | 1962 | $696 | 29.9% | 92.7% | 1.0% |
| Kidder County | 2.04 | 48.5 | 2.4% | 23.9% | 30.1% | 1971 | $924 | 26.6% | 91.4% | 1.7% |
| Barnes County | 2.10 | 42.7 | 8.2% | 29.2% | 14.5% | 1962 | $757 | 31.0% | 93.8% | 3.6% |
| Steele County | 2.24 | 46.2 | 5.0% | 22.2% | 26.9% | 1967 | $763 | 28.8% | 95.3% | 3.3% |
| Sheridan County | 1.91 | 51.5 | 3.9% | 16.0% | 19.5% | 1967 | $373 | 18.9% | 90.2% | 1.1% |
| Traill County | 2.30 | 41.4 | 9.0% | 25.7% | 8.1% | 1964 | $897 | 31.0% | 94.6% | 2.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Wibaux County, MT · Baca County, CO · Bacon County, GA · Bailey County, TX · Ballard County, KY · Bamberg County, SC · Banner County, NE · Baraga County, MI · Barber County, KS · Barton County, MO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Foster County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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