Mercer County, North Dakota

Not to be confused with Mercer, North Dakota.

Mercer County, North Dakota
Cities of Mercer, left-to-right, up-to-down; Beulah, Golden Valley, Hazen, Pick City, Stanton, and Zap
Location in the U.S. state of North Dakota
North Dakota's location in the U.S.
Founded	August 4, 1884
Seat	Stanton
Largest city	Beulah
Area
• Total	1,112 sq mi (2,880 km2)
• Land	1,043 sq mi (2,701 km2)
• Water	70 sq mi (181 km2), 6.3%
Population (est.)
• (2014)	8,746
• Density	8.1/sq mi (3/km²)
Congressional district	At-large
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.mercercountynd.com

Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,424. Its county seat is Stanton. The county was created by the 1874-1875 territorial legislature and was named for William Henry Harrison Mercer (1844–1901), an early rancher who settled north of Bismarck in 1869. The county government was first organized on August 4, 1884.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,112 square miles (2,880 km²), of which 1,043 square miles (2,700 km²) is land and 70 square miles (180 km²) (6.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• McLean County (north)
• Oliver County (east)
• Morton County (south)
• Stark County (southwest/MST Border)
• Dunn County (west/MST Border)

Major highways

• North Dakota Highway 31
• North Dakota Highway 48
• North Dakota Highway 49
• North Dakota Highway 200
• North Dakota Highway 1806

National protected area

• Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1890	428		—
1900	1,778		315.4%
1910	4,747		167.0%
1920	8,224		73.2%
1930	9,516		15.7%
1940	9,611		1.0%
1950	8,686		−9.6%
1960	6,805		−21.7%
1970	6,175		−9.3%
1980	9,404		52.3%
1990	9,808		4.3%
2000	8,644		−11.9%
2010	8,424		−2.5%
Est. 2014	8,746		3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2014

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,644 people, 3,346 households, and 2,445 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 4,402 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.04% White, 0.05% Black or African American, 2.00% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.38% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. 0.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 68.8% were of German and 8.2% Norwegian ancestry.

There were 3,346 households out of which 37.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.20% were married couples living together, 5.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the county the population was spread out with 29.10% under the age of 18, 4.20% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 101.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,269, and the median income for a family was $51,983. Males had a median income of $47,969 versus $21,667 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,256. About 5.50% of families and 7.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.20% of those under age 18 and 20.90% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

• Beulah
• Golden Valley
• Hazen
• Pick City
• Stanton (county seat)
• Zap

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Mercer County, North Dakota