Walsh County, North Dakota | |
|---|---|
 TheWalsh County Courthouse in Grafton. | |
 Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Dakota | |
| Coordinates:48°22′37″N97°43′20″W / 48.376979°N 97.72223°W /48.376979; -97.72223 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Dakota |
| Founded | May 2, 1881 (created) August 30, 1881 (organized) |
| Named after | George H. Walsh |
| Seat | Grafton |
| Largest city | Grafton |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,294.032 sq mi (3,351.53 km2) |
| • Land | 1,281.607 sq mi (3,319.35 km2) |
| • Water | 12.425 sq mi (32.18 km2) 0.96% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 10,563 |
• Estimate (2024) | 10,214 |
| • Density | 7.969/sq mi (3.077/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 701 |
| Congressional district | At-large |
| Website | walshcountynd.com |
Walsh County is acounty in theU.S. state ofNorth Dakota. As of the2020 census, the population was 10,563,[1] and was estimated to be 10,214 in 2024.[2] Thecounty seat and the largest city isGrafton.[3]
TheDakota Territory legislature created the county on May 2, 1881, with areas partitioned fromGrand andPembina counties. It was organized on August 30 of that same year, with Grafton as county seat.[4][5] It was named forGeorge H. Walsh (1845–1913), a newspaperman and politician inGrand Forks.
In 1946, Walsh County was the site of one of North Dakota's deadliest tornadoes.[6] The storm killed 11 people, including eight in Walsh County, one in Manitoba, and two in Minnesota.[6]
Walsh County lies on the eastern side of North Dakota. Its eastern boundary line abuts the western boundary line of the state ofMinnesota (across theRed River). The Red River flows northward along the east side of the county on its way toHudson Bay in Canada. The south branch of the Park River flows eastward through the county to discharge into the Red on the east side of the county.[7] The terrain generally slopes to the north and east, but the highest point is its northwestern corner, at 1,647 ft (502 m) ASL.[8]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,294.032 square miles (3,351.53 km2), of which 1,281.607 square miles (3,319.35 km2) is land and 12.425 square miles (32.18 km2) (0.96%) is water.[9] It is the 22nd largest county in North Dakota by total area.[10]
Source:[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 16,587 | — | |
| 1900 | 20,288 | 22.3% | |
| 1910 | 19,491 | −3.9% | |
| 1920 | 19,087 | −2.1% | |
| 1930 | 20,047 | 5.0% | |
| 1940 | 20,747 | 3.5% | |
| 1950 | 18,859 | −9.1% | |
| 1960 | 17,997 | −4.6% | |
| 1970 | 16,251 | −9.7% | |
| 1980 | 15,371 | −5.4% | |
| 1990 | 13,840 | −10.0% | |
| 2000 | 12,389 | −10.5% | |
| 2010 | 11,119 | −10.3% | |
| 2020 | 10,563 | −5.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 10,214 | [11] | −3.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010–2020[2] | |||
As of the fourth quarter of 2024, the median home value in Walsh County was $133,186.[16]
As of the 2023American Community Survey, there are 4,450 estimated households in Walsh County with an average of 2.27 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $69,976. Approximately 9.6% of the county's population lives at or below thepoverty line. Walsh County has an estimated 63.3% employment rate, with 19.5% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 87.6% holding a high school diploma.[2]
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (90.7%), Spanish (7.3%), Indo-European (1.4%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.2%), and Other (0.3%).
Walsh County, North Dakota – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
| Race / ethnicity(NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980[17] | Pop. 1990[18] | Pop. 2000[19] | Pop. 2010[20] | Pop. 2020[21] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 15,005 (97.62%) | 13,231 (95.60%) | 11,436 (92.31%) | 9,834 (88.44%) | 8,676 (82.14%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 4 (0.03%) | 17 (0.12%) | 24 (0.19%) | 24 (0.22%) | 69 (0.65%) |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 97 (0.63%) | 97 (0.70%) | 120 (0.97%) | 153 (1.38%) | 136 (1.29%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 23 (0.15%) | 54 (0.39%) | 22 (0.18%) | 36 (0.32%) | 45 (0.43%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 2 (0.02%) | 4 (0.04%) | 0 (0.00%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 18 (0.12%) | 0 (0.00%) | 1 (0.01%) | 3 (0.03%) | 31 (0.29%) |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 84 (0.68%) | 96 (0.86%) | 290 (2.75%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 224 (1.46%) | 441 (3.19%) | 700 (5.65%) | 969 (8.71%) | 1,316 (12.46%) |
| Total | 15,371 (100.00%) | 13,840 (100.00%) | 12,389 (100.00%) | 11,119 (100.00%) | 10,563 (100.00%) |
As of the 2024 estimate, there were 10,214 people and 4,450 households residing in the county. There were 5,196 housing units at an average density of 4.05 per square mile (1.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.7% White(81.8% NH White), 0.8% African American, 2.5% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 13.1% of the population.[22]
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 10,563, with 4,493 households and 2,738 families residing there. Thepopulation density was 8.2 inhabitants per square mile (3.2/km2).[23] Of the residents, 22.8% were under the age of 18 and 22.3% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 44.5 years. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 104.8 males.[23]
The racial makeup of the county was 86.0% White, 0.7%Black or African American, 1.4%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Asian, 3.9% from some other race, and 7.6% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 12.5% of the population.[24]
There were 4,493 households in the county, of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 21.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[23]
There were 5,202 housing units at an average density of 4.06 inhabitants per square mile (1.6/km2), of which 13.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.3% were owner-occupied and 24.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.4%.[23]
As of the2010 census, there were 11,119 people, 4,746 households, and 3,021 families in the county. The population density was 8.67 inhabitants per square mile (3.3/km2). There were 5,498 housing units at an average density of 4.29 inhabitants per square mile (1.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.45%White, 0.22%African American, 1.51%Native American, 0.32%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 3.10% from some other races and 1.35% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 8.71% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 39.7% wereNorwegian, 21.6% wereGerman, 11.0% werePolish, 9.4% wereIrish, 9.3% wereCzech, 5.8% wereEnglish, and 5.4% wereAmerican.
Of the 4,746 households, 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.3% were non-families, and 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 45.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,139 and the median income for a family was $58,429. Males had a median income of $36,934 versus $26,826 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,829. About 5.4% of families and 9.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.
| Range 59 | Range 58 | Range 57 | Range 56 | Range 55 | Range 54 | Range 53 | Range 52 | Range 51 | Range 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Township 155 | Sauter | Perth | Cleveland | Medford | Eden | Ops | Forest River | Ardoch | Walshville | Walshville |
| Township 156 | Shepherd | Latona | Norton | Vernon | Rushford | Prairie Centre | Walsh Centre | Harriston | Pulaski | Pulaski |
| Township 157 | Dewey | Adams | Vesta | Golden | Kensington Township | Fertile | Grafton | Oakwood | Acton | Acton |
| Township 158 | St. Andrews | St. Andrews | Martin | Farmington | Glenwood | Dundee | Lampton | Tiber | Silvesta | Kinloss |
Walsh County voters have traditionally voted Republican. In only one national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1900 | 1,807 | 49.41% | 1,804 | 49.33% | 46 | 1.26% |
| 1904 | 2,042 | 61.97% | 1,113 | 33.78% | 140 | 4.25% |
| 1908 | 1,751 | 49.46% | 1,641 | 46.36% | 148 | 4.18% |
| 1912 | 586 | 20.33% | 1,206 | 41.85% | 1,090 | 37.82% |
| 1916 | 1,670 | 43.81% | 2,003 | 52.54% | 139 | 3.65% |
| 1920 | 4,581 | 67.13% | 2,047 | 30.00% | 196 | 2.87% |
| 1924 | 2,837 | 49.17% | 917 | 15.89% | 2,016 | 34.94% |
| 1928 | 3,657 | 48.94% | 3,798 | 50.83% | 17 | 0.23% |
| 1932 | 1,616 | 22.31% | 5,342 | 73.74% | 286 | 3.95% |
| 1936 | 1,813 | 22.15% | 5,756 | 70.32% | 616 | 7.53% |
| 1940 | 3,051 | 35.61% | 5,499 | 64.18% | 18 | 0.21% |
| 1944 | 2,471 | 34.07% | 4,747 | 65.46% | 34 | 0.47% |
| 1948 | 2,646 | 37.63% | 4,170 | 59.31% | 215 | 3.06% |
| 1952 | 4,761 | 57.33% | 3,494 | 42.08% | 49 | 0.59% |
| 1956 | 3,946 | 54.81% | 3,238 | 44.97% | 16 | 0.22% |
| 1960 | 4,036 | 50.16% | 4,009 | 49.82% | 2 | 0.02% |
| 1964 | 2,454 | 33.27% | 4,911 | 66.58% | 11 | 0.15% |
| 1968 | 3,410 | 50.06% | 2,948 | 43.28% | 454 | 6.66% |
| 1972 | 3,991 | 56.29% | 2,908 | 41.02% | 191 | 2.69% |
| 1976 | 3,518 | 48.13% | 3,555 | 48.64% | 236 | 3.23% |
| 1980 | 4,488 | 64.69% | 1,850 | 26.66% | 600 | 8.65% |
| 1984 | 4,347 | 64.84% | 2,264 | 33.77% | 93 | 1.39% |
| 1988 | 3,250 | 54.48% | 2,646 | 44.35% | 70 | 1.17% |
| 1992 | 2,544 | 43.09% | 1,936 | 32.79% | 1,424 | 24.12% |
| 1996 | 2,222 | 44.99% | 2,082 | 42.15% | 635 | 12.86% |
| 2000 | 3,099 | 59.80% | 1,743 | 33.64% | 340 | 6.56% |
| 2004 | 3,194 | 61.59% | 1,905 | 36.73% | 87 | 1.68% |
| 2008 | 2,415 | 49.47% | 2,325 | 47.62% | 142 | 2.91% |
| 2012 | 2,656 | 55.44% | 1,985 | 41.43% | 150 | 3.13% |
| 2016 | 2,995 | 64.60% | 1,167 | 25.17% | 474 | 10.22% |
| 2020 | 3,324 | 69.50% | 1,333 | 27.87% | 126 | 2.63% |
| 2024 | 3,186 | 70.86% | 1,173 | 26.09% | 137 | 3.05% |
Places adjacent to Walsh County, North Dakota | |
|---|---|
Municipalities and communities ofWalsh County, North Dakota,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
