IBISWorld Platform
Answer any industry question in minutes with our entire database at your fingertips.
US State economic profile
North Dakota - Economic Profile
Statistics, economic information and rankings for the Peace Garden State
In 2026, the state of North Dakota has a population of 810,000, having grown an annualized 0.8% over the five years to 2026, which ranks it 18th out of all 50 US states by growth rate. North Dakota's gross state product (GSP) in 2026 reached $63.9b, with growth of 2.2% over the 5 years to 2026. Businesses in North Dakota employed a total of 431,601 people in 2026, with average annual employment growth over the past five years of 1.7%. The top three sectors by total employment are Mining, Real Estate & Rental & Leasing, Healthcare & Social Assistance, while the unemployment rate across the state in 2026 was 2.7%.
Access this data your way
The North Dakota economic profile is available in multiple formats to fit seamlessly into your workflow.
State economic profile
North Dakota Economic Overview
$63.9b
Gross state product
810,000
Population
103,598
Businesses
What is North Dakota's Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?
In 2026, North Dakota's GDP reached $63.9b, representing an increase of 2.2% from 2025. North Dakota's GDP has grown at an annualized rate of 1.3% over the five years to 2026. Moreover, North Dakota's trailing five-year GDP growth ranks it 20th out of all 50 US states.
State GDP, or Gross State Product, is a measurement of a state's output, or the sum of value added from all industries in the state. It is a common indicator used to track the health of a state's economy.
You can track trends in North Dakota's GDP, and compare them to the national average, using the chart below.
State economic profile
North Dakota Industry Trends
Learn about current trends affecting the most significant industries for North Dakota's state economy, down to the county level. IBISWorld offers state industry research reports on over 30,000 industries across all 50 states in the US, including 596 industries in North Dakota.
What are North Dakota's Largest Industries by Revenue?
The largest industries by revenue in North Dakota are Oil Drilling & Gas Extraction, Corn, Wheat & Soybean Wholesaling and Construction Machinery Manufacturing, which generated $28.9b, $13.0b and $7.6b in 2026.
| Industry | 2026 revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Oil Drilling & Gas Extraction | $28.9b |
| 2. | Corn, Wheat & Soybean Wholesaling | $13.0b |
| 3. | Construction Machinery Manufacturing | $7.6b |
| 4. | Oil & Gas Field Services | $6.8b |
| 5. | Petroleum Refining | $5.3b |
| 6. | Commercial Banking | $5.0b |
| 7. | Farm Supplies Wholesaling | $4.7b |
| 8. | Hospitals | $4.6b |
| 9. | New Car Dealers | $4.4b |
| 10. | Farm, Lawn & Garden Equipment Wholesaling | $4.0b |
State economic profile
Top Companies in North Dakota
Learn about current trends affecting the top companies in North Dakota. IBISWorld offers benchmarking data and tools on over 5,000 companies in the US.
Top 10 Companies Headquartered in North Dakota by Employment
The largest companies by employment in North Dakota are Trinity Health, Commonspirit Health and Sanford Health, which employed 13,494, 10,862 and 6,875 people in 2026.
| Company | 2026 employment | Share of employment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Trinity Health | 13,494 | 3.1% |
| 2. | Commonspirit Health | 10,862 | 2.5% |
| 3. | Sanford Health | 6,875 | 1.6% |
| 4. | Walmart Inc. | 5,195 | 1.2% |
| 5. | Doosan Bobcat | 3,800 | 0.9% |
| 6. | Altru Health System | 3,500 | 0.8% |
| 7. | University of North Dakota | 2,700 | 0.6% |
| 8. | North Dakota State University | 2,582 | 0.6% |
| 9. | Bismark Public Schools | 2,169 | 0.5% |
| 10. | Essentia Health | 2,063 | 0.5% |
State economic profile
North Dakota Sector Statistics
In North Dakota, certain sectors drive a higher share of state GDP and employ more workers than others. However, simply looking at raw numbers doesn't always tell the whole story. Factoring in the current year growth percentage, in addition to the annualized growth percentage over the past five years, will give you a deeper understanding of the economic situation.
What is North Dakota's GDP by Sector?
The Mining, Real Estate & Rental & Leasing and Healthcare & Social Assistance sectors contributed the most to North Dakota's GDP in 2026, representing a combined 34.1% of state GDP.
GDP trends by sector are an important indicator of which sectors are contributing the most value-add to the state economy, in addition to how the state economy is evolving over time.
| Sector | GDP | Growth 2026 | Annualized growth 2021-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mining | 7,589,960,039 | -3.8% | -2.6% |
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing | 5,500,280,941 | 1.1% | 2.0% |
| Healthcare & Social Assistance | 5,079,382,916 | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Manufacturing | 4,796,500,343 | 3.5% | 3.3% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 4,655,389,589 | 5.0% | 6.5% |
| Wholesale Trade | 3,728,622,906 | -1.9% | -2.4% |
| Retail Trade | 3,636,571,847 | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 2,520,932,264 | 5.7% | 6.5% |
| Construction | 2,391,688,920 | -2.1% | -2.5% |
| Finance & Insurance | 2,371,652,915 | -2.1% | -2.9% |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 2,325,386,527 | -1.8% | -2.3% |
| Information | 2,131,696,532 | 6.3% | 6.5% |
| Utilities | 1,527,380,004 | 3.6% | 3.9% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 1,427,589,726 | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| Administration, Business Support and Waste Management Services | 1,124,208,415 | 4.7% | 5.5% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 964,582,687 | 8.4% | 9.2% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 932,531,488 | -0.7% | -0.3% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 403,412,981 | 11.6% | 12.4% |
| Educational Services | 227,781,074 | 3.8% | 4.3% |
What is North Dakota's Employment by Sector?
The Healthcare & Social Assistance, Retail Trade and Accommodation & Food Services sectors contributed the most to employment in North Dakota in 2026, representing a combined 37.4% of state employment.
Employment trends by sector are an important indicator of which sectors are growing or contracting most rapidly relative to the state economy as a whole.
| Sector | Employment | Growth 2026 | Annualized growth 2021-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare & Social Assistance | 70,818 | 2.3% | 1.2% |
| Retail Trade | 55,826 | 1.6% | 0.4% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 34,806 | 0.5% | 2.2% |
| Construction | 31,404 | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 30,946 | 5.0% | 3.9% |
| Manufacturing | 28,311 | 0.6% | 1.6% |
| Wholesale Trade | 23,953 | 1.8% | 1.7% |
| Finance & Insurance | 22,756 | 1.7% | 0.9% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 22,398 | 2.2% | -0.4% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 19,830 | 1.1% | 2.3% |
| Administration, Business Support and Waste Management Services | 19,608 | 2.8% | 1.8% |
| Mining | 17,022 | -1.8% | 2.5% |
| Educational Services | 13,493 | -1.9% | -0.6% |
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing | 13,170 | 2.7% | 3.1% |
| Information | 12,082 | 1.7% | 6.5% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 8,662 | 1.2% | 4.7% |
| Utilities | 4,833 | 1.5% | 4.3% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 1,683 | 1.4% | 0.1% |
State economic profile
North Dakota Employment Trends
431.6k
Employment
2.7%
Unemployment
What Employment Trends are Impacting North Dakota?
The state of North Dakota employs 431,601 people in 2026, which ranks it 47th out of all 50 US states. Employment in North Dakota has grown at an annualized rate of 1.7% over the five years to 2026, overperforming the national average of 1.7%. Major sectors by employment in North Dakota include Healthcare & Social Assistance, Retail Trade and Accommodation & Food Services, which employed 70,818, 55,826 and 34,806 people in 2026, respectively. North Dakota's unemployment rate is 2.7% in 2026, which ranks it 2nd out of all 50 US states. North Dakota's unemployment rate has trended downwards at a rate of -2.7% over the five years to 2026, overperforming the US economy as a whole.
Employment trends indicate the degree of tightness or slack in labor markets, in addition to the overall strength of an economy. Faster employment growth typically indicates a strong and growing economy, while lower unemployment tends to imply tightness in labor markets.
You can track unemployment trends in North Dakota, and compare them to the US economy, using the chart below.
$135.3k
Per capita disposable income
What is North Dakota's Per Capita Disposable Income?
Per capita disposable income, also known as disposable personal income (DPI), is the amount of money that the average person in an economy has available for spending and saving after accounting for income taxes. North Dakota's DPI in 2026 was $135.3k, compared to the US average of $156.5k, which places it 10th out of all 50 US states.
Disposable income is regarded as a key economic indicator as trends in disposable income are indicative of the level of aggregate demand, the state of labor markets and the financial strength of households.
You can track trends in North Dakota's per capita disposable income, and compare it to the US average, using the chart below.
State economic profile
North Dakota Construction & Building Trends
$4,213.5tn
Nonresidential construction
$946.5b
Residential construction
2,507
Building permits
What can construction trends tell you about a state’s economy?
In North Dakota, non-residential construction was $4,213.5tn in 2026, which ranks it 42nd out of all 50 US states. Residential construction was $946.5b in 2026, which places North Dakota 31st out of all 50 US states. The number of building permits issued in North Dakota in 2026 was 2,507, representing a -9.8% annualized growth rate between 2021 and 2026.
Trends in the construction sector are important because it creates jobs, income and tax revenue for a state. In addition, construction sector activity impacts other sectors in its supply chain, including manufacturing, wholesaling, warehousing, transportation, and real estate, rental and leasing services. Therefore, construction trends are important indicators of the health of an economy.
You can track trends in the number of building permits issued in North Dakota, and compare it to trends in the number issued in the United States as a whole, using the chart below.
State economic profile
North Dakota Population Statistics
Which Counties in North Dakota have the Largest Populations?
The counties with the highest populations in North Dakota are Cass County, Burleigh County and Grand Forks County, which had populations of 207,106, 101,606 and 72,787 people in 2026.
| Region | 2026 population | Annual growth 2021-26 | Share of population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cass | 207.1k | 1.8% | 25.6% |
| Burleigh | 101.6k | 0.5% | 12.5% |
| Grand Forks | 72.8k | N/A | 9.0% |
| Ward | 67.0k | -0.6% | 8.3% |
| Williams | 40.0k | 0.7% | 4.9% |
| Morton | 34.5k | 0.6% | 4.3% |
| Stark | 33.1k | 0.1% | 4.1% |
| Stutsman | 21.2k | -0.4% | 2.6% |
| Richland | 16.6k | N/A | 2.0% |
| Mckenzie | 14.7k | 1.0% | 1.8% |
| Ramsey | 11.3k | -0.5% | 1.4% |
| Rolette | 11.3k | -1.3% | 1.4% |
| Barnes | 10.6k | -0.3% | 1.3% |
| Walsh | 10.0k | -1.0% | 1.2% |
| Mclean | 9.8k | N/A | 1.2% |
| Mountrail | 9.3k | -0.4% | 1.1% |
| Mercer | 8.3k | -0.2% | 1.0% |
| Traill | 7.8k | -0.4% | 1.0% |
| Pembina | 6.5k | -0.9% | 0.8% |
| Bottineau | 6.3k | -0.4% | 0.8% |
| Benson | 5.6k | -0.8% | 0.7% |
| Ransom | 5.5k | -0.6% | 0.7% |
| Mchenry | 4.9k | -1.2% | 0.6% |
| Dickey | 4.8k | -0.4% | 0.6% |
| Lamoure | 4.1k | 0.1% | 0.5% |
State economic profile
North Dakota Demographics
In North Dakota, 35.5% of the population has a Bachelors or higher. The largest ethnic group in North Dakota is White, accounting for 80.4% of the state's population.
Education level in North Dakota
| Education level | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Bachelors or higher | 35.5 |
| Other | 64.5 |
Race in North Dakota
| Race | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| White | 80.4 |
| Other | 7.5 |
| Hispanic | 5.6 |
| Black | 4.1 |
| Asian | 2.3 |
North Dakota State industry reports
IBISWorld State Industry Reports help you quickly understand how an industry performs at the state level compared with the national level, with accurate and unbiased industry information with a local focus. Use this collection to:
- Discover key local industry trends
- Identify threats and opportunities at the subnational level
- Inform your business strategies and planning
See our list of 596 North Dakota industry reports.
Other states to explore
Compare North Dakota’s economy with other states in the United States.
Cut through the noise with intelligence you can trust
