Stark County
County
Stark County Courthouse in Dickinson
Stark County Courthouse in Dickinson
Map of North Dakota highlighting Stark County
Location within the U.S. state of North Dakota
Map of the United States highlighting North Dakota
North Dakota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 46°49′N 102°40′W / 46.81°N 102.66°W / 46.81; -102.66
Country United States
State North Dakota
FoundedFebruary 10, 1879 (created)
May 25, 1883 (organized)
Named forGeorge Stark
SeatDickinson
Largest cityDickinson
Area
 • Total1,340 sq mi (3,500 km2)
 • Land1,335 sq mi (3,460 km2)
 • Water5.5 sq mi (14 km2)  0.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total33,646
 • Estimate 
(2022)
32,803 Decrease
 • Density25/sq mi (9.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional districtAt-large
Websitewww.starkcountynd.gov

Stark County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,646.[1] Its county seat is Dickinson.[2]

Stark County is part of the Dickinson, ND Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on February 10, 1879, taking area from now-extinct Howard and Williams counties and some previously unincorporated territory. It was named for George Stark, a vice president of the Northern Pacific Railroad.[3] The county organization was not completed at that time, but the new county was not attached to another county for administrative and judicial purposes. The county lost a portion of its area when Hettinger County was created on March 9, 1883. On May 25, 1883, the Stark County organization was effected.

The county boundaries were altered in February and in March 1887. The county was slightly enlarged on January 18, 1908, by a small strip of land (due to a redefinition of county boundary lines), giving Stark County its present boundary lines.[4][5][6]

Geography

The south branch of the Heart River flows through the central part of Stark County, discharging into Patterson Lake at Dickinson, then flowing east-southeasterly into adjacent Morton County. The county terrain consists of semi-arid rolling hills, mostly devoted to agriculture.[7] The terrain slopes to the east, with its highest point near its SW corner, at 2,831 ft (863 m) ASL.[8] The county has a total area of 1,340 square miles (3,500 km2), of which 1,335 square miles (3,460 km2) is land and 5.5 square miles (14 km2) (0.4%) is water.[9]

The southwestern counties of North Dakota (Adams, Billings, Bowman, Golden Valley, Grant, Hettinger, Slope, Stark) observe Mountain Time. The counties of McKenzie, Dunn, and Sioux counties are split.

Major highways

Transit

Adjacent counties

Lakes[7]

  • Abbey Lake
  • Patterson Lake

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18902,304—
19007,621230.8%
191012,50464.1%
192013,5428.3%
193015,34013.3%
194015,4140.5%
195016,1374.7%
196018,45114.3%
197019,6136.3%
198023,69720.8%
199022,832−3.7%
200022,636−0.9%
201024,1996.9%
202033,64639.0%
2022 (est.)32,803[10]−2.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010-2020[1]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, there were 33,646 people.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 24,199 people, 10,085 households, and 6,167 families in the county. The population density was 18.1 inhabitants per square mile (7.0/km2). There were 10,735 housing units at an average density of 8.0 per square mile (3.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.2% white, 1.2% Asian, 1.0% American Indian, 0.8% black or African American, 0.5% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 59.0% were German, 14.7% were Norwegian, 7.7% were Russian, 7.7% were Irish, 7.3% were Czech, 5.4% were English, and 3.5% were American.

Of the 10,085 households, 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.8% were non-families, and 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 38.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $49,536 and the median income for a family was $62,560. Males had a median income of $42,338 versus $26,451 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,282. About 5.9% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.

Population by decade

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities[7]

Unorganized Territories

There are no townships in Stark County, but the United States Census Bureau divides the county into four unorganized territories:

  • Dickinson North, the northern part of the county outside Dickinson, had a population of 3,326 at the 2020 Census.[15]
  • Dickinson South, the southern part of the county, had a population of 577 at the 2020 Census.[15]
  • East Stark, the eastern part of the county outside Gladstone, Taylor, and Richardton, had a population of 849 at the 2020 Census.[16]
  • West Stark, the western part of the county outside Belfield and South Heart, had a population of 632 at the 2020 Census.[17]

Politics

Stark County voters have tended to vote Republican for decades. In no national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2020). Despite its rapid population growth due to a massive oil boom, Stark County has swung right faster than almost any county, with oil-friendly Republican candidate Donald Trump collapsing Democratic support in 2016 by almost 10% and increasing Republican margins to 79%, the highest since Eisenhower in 1952. While Joe Biden managed to stop a three-election slide in percentage in 2020, Trump further increased his percentage to 80%, the highest since 1920.

United States presidential election results for Stark County, North Dakota[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 12,110 80.47% 2,499 16.60% 441 2.93%
2016 9,755 79.17% 1,753 14.23% 814 6.61%
2012 8,521 73.25% 2,812 24.17% 300 2.58%
2008 7,024 63.13% 3,802 34.17% 301 2.71%
2004 7,220 69.42% 3,013 28.97% 167 1.61%
2000 6,387 65.33% 2,784 28.47% 606 6.20%
1996 4,086 46.94% 3,095 35.55% 1,524 17.51%
1992 4,491 42.06% 3,003 28.12% 3,184 29.82%
1988 6,137 61.35% 3,678 36.77% 188 1.88%
1984 7,641 71.15% 2,759 25.69% 340 3.17%
1980 6,312 70.11% 2,016 22.39% 675 7.50%
1976 4,374 49.93% 4,076 46.53% 310 3.54%
1972 5,115 62.91% 2,636 32.42% 380 4.67%
1968 4,365 58.64% 2,577 34.62% 502 6.74%
1964 2,888 40.33% 4,270 59.63% 3 0.04%
1960 3,223 43.43% 4,197 56.56% 1 0.01%
1956 4,251 70.38% 1,778 29.44% 11 0.18%
1952 5,322 79.58% 1,332 19.92% 34 0.51%
1948 3,222 60.15% 2,017 37.65% 118 2.20%
1944 2,852 64.85% 1,534 34.88% 12 0.27%
1940 4,367 67.63% 2,075 32.14% 15 0.23%
1936 1,602 26.10% 4,012 65.35% 525 8.55%
1932 1,443 23.17% 4,786 76.83% 0 0.00%
1928 1,924 37.28% 3,231 62.60% 6 0.12%
1924 2,130 50.58% 266 6.32% 1,815 43.10%
1920 3,526 86.23% 532 13.01% 31 0.76%
1916 1,409 58.10% 953 39.30% 63 2.60%
1912 387 22.40% 678 39.24% 663 38.37%
1908 922 63.76% 496 34.30% 28 1.94%
1904 703 73.92% 231 24.29% 17 1.79%
1900 780 64.20% 426 35.06% 9 0.74%

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ Beatty, Michael A. (May 17, 2001). County Name Origins of the United States. McFarland. ISBN 9780786410255 – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ "County History". North Dakota.gov. The State of North Dakota. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  5. ↑ Long, John H. (2006). "Dakota Territory, South Dakota, and North Dakota: Individual County Chronologies". Dakota Territory Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. Archived from the original on November 11, 2007. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  6. ↑ Long, John H. (2006). "North Dakota: Consolidated Chronology of State and County Boundaries". North Dakota Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. Archived from the original on November 27, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 "Stark County". Stark County.
  8. ↑ ""Find an Altitude/Stark County ND" Google Maps (accessed February 20, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  9. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  11. ↑ "United States Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  13. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (April 20, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  18. ↑ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 13, 2018.

46°49′N 102°40′W / 46.81°N 102.66°W / 46.81; -102.66

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