County profile

Cavalier County

North Dakota · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
3,633
Median household income
$69,531
People below poverty
8.5%
Median home value
$125,800

Income

The median income of households in Cavalier County, North Dakota was $69,531. An estimated 6.2% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 12.3% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 6.2
$10,000 to $14,999 2.7
$15,000 to $24,999 8.7
$25,000 to $34,999 5.3
$35,000 to $49,999 13.5
$50,000 to $74,999 17
$75,000 to $99,999 10.2
$100,000 to $149,999 16.9
$150,000 to $199,999 7.2
$200,000 or more 12.3

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 70724
Female 43259

An estimated 74.5% of households received earnings. An estimated 41.1% of households received Social Security and an estimated 19.4 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $22,907. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 74.5
Social Security 41.1
Retirement income 19.4
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 2.6
Cash public assistance income 3.9

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 8.5 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 6.1% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 10.7% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 8.4% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 8.5
Children under 18 years below poverty 6.1
People 65 years old and over below poverty 10.7
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 8.4

In 2020-2024, 4.7 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 21.9% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 69.9% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 11% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024, 95.7% had health insurance coverage and 4.3% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 82.9% and public coverage was 38.3%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 2.2%.


In 2020-2024, Cavalier County, North Dakota had a total population of 3,633 - 1,749 (48.1%) females and 1,884 (51.9%) males. The median age was 48.3 years. An estimated 21.9% of the population was under 18 years, 21.4% was 19 to 44 years, 25.4% was 45 to 64 years, and 27.9 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 102 101
5 to 9 96 79
10 to 14 152 147
15 to 19 81 161
20 to 24 131 24
25 to 29 52 47
30 to 34 99 94
35 to 39 79 67
40 to 44 105 79
45 to 49 87 73
50 to 54 123 109
55 to 59 148 125
60 to 64 123 136
65 to 69 138 86
70 to 74 149 151
75 to 79 123 111
80 to 84 48 53
85 and over 48 106

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 92% were White; 0% were Black or African American; 6.7% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 0.7% were Asian; 0% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 3.4% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 2.3% of the people in Cavalier County, North Dakota were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 92% of the people in Cavalier County, North Dakota were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 1,560 households in Cavalier County, North Dakota. The average household size was 2.28 people.

Married-couple households made up 52.8% of the households in Cavalier County, North Dakota while cohabiting couple households made up 3.2% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 19.7% of all households, while 24.2% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 21.5% of households were male householders living alone, and 17.4% were female householders living alone, for a total of 38.9% of all households.

In Cavalier County, North Dakota, 20.3% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 43% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 52.8
Cohabiting Couples 3.2
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
24.2
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
19.7

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 56.5% of males and 58.4% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 25.5 18.6
Now married, except separated 56.5 58.4
Separated 1.2 1.2
Widowed 6.5 12.4
Divorced 10.4 9.3

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Cavalier County, North Dakota, 11 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 90.9% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 97.7% of the people living in Cavalier County, North Dakota were U.S. natives. 76.9% of the Cavalier County, North Dakota population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 2.3% of Cavalier County, North Dakota residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 51.2% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 43.9 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Cavalier County, North Dakota come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Cavalier County, North Dakota.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 0
Asia 31.7
Europe 36.6
Africa 24.4
Northern America 7.3
Oceania 0

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024, 5.1 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 1.3% of people at least five years old; 0.7% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 1.3
Other Indo-European languages 3.1
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0.1
Other languages 0.6

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 92.7 % of the people at least one year old living in Cavalier County, North Dakota were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 92.7
Different house, same county 2.1
Different county, same state 3.3
Different state 1.8
Abroad 0

Education

In 2020-2024, 92.4 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 22.1% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 7.6% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Cavalier County, North Dakota was 851 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 20 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 648. College or graduate school enrollment was 183.

Educational Attainment of People in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 7.6
High school diploma or equivalency 23.4
Some college, no degree 29.6
Associate's degree 17.2
Bachelor's degree 19.1
Graduate or professional degree 3

Disability

In Cavalier County, North Dakota, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 13.4 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 2.9% of people under 18 years old, to 6.2% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 36.1% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Cavalier County, North Dakota, 59.2 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 40.2% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 56.8% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 20.5% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 21.8 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 979 56.8
Federal, state, or local government workers 354 20.5
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 375 21.8

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Cavalier County, North Dakota worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 23
Construction 8.4
Manufacturing 3.3
Wholesale trade 3.7
Retail trade 9.4
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 7.2
Information 2.2
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 4.1
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 3.3
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 21.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 3.1
Other Services, except public administration 4.1
Public administration 6.9

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 800 46.4
Service occupations 190 11
Sales and office occupations 344 20
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 206 12
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 183 10.6

Commuting to Work

An estimated 73.6% of Cavalier County, North Dakota workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 14.2% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 18.8 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 73.6
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 14.2
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0
Walked 3
Other means 0.6
Worked from home 8.6

In 2020-2024, Cavalier County, North Dakota had a total of 2,109 housing units. Of these housing units, 81.8% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 12.8% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 5.4% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 81.8
Apartments in multi-unit structures 12.8
Mobile homes 5.4
Boat, RV, van, etc 0

4.1% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 15.8% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Cavalier County, North Dakota was 6.5 rooms, and of these housing units 66.7% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Cavalier County, North Dakota had 1,560 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 549 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 81.3% while renters occupied 18.7%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.41 and in renter-occupied houses it was 1.71.

2.6% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 25.6% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 3.8% and another 34.1% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Cavalier County, North Dakota:

House Heating Fuel Used in Cavalier County, North Dakota in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 60.2
Electricity 35
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 3.1
All other fuels 0.9
No fuel used 0.7

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Cavalier County, North Dakota was $125,800.

Of the owner-occupied households, 34.1 % had a mortgage. 65.9% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,307 and for owners without a mortgage it was $639.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Cavalier County, North Dakota was $786. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.