BISMARCK — North Dakota’s population count is gaining momentum as it reaches a record of 796,568 in 2024, an increase of over 7,500 people since last year and more than 2% since 2020, according to census data.

According to population estimates released Thursday, Dec. 19, by the

U.S. Census Bureau,

Cass County exceeded the 200,000-resident mark by 945 people and Burleigh County hovered over 100,000 residents with a count of 103,107.

The two counties combined accounted for over 58% of the state’s growth in the last year.

“People continue to discover North Dakota’s abundant job opportunities, low taxes, strong education and health care systems, and unmatched quality of life with world-class outdoor recreation, hunting and fishing,” Gov. Kelly Armstrong said in a Thursday release.

The release also noted a net population increase of more than 18% since 2010, calling North Dakota one of the fastest-growing states in the country, though the Midwest overall had the lowest net population increase.

Most of the 43 states that grew in 2024 were southern states.

North Dakota’s population rise is part of a nationwide trend the Census Bureau attributes broadly to international migration and “natural increase” — when births outnumber deaths.

North Dakota had a natural increase of 2,725, with 6,867 deaths and 9,592 births in 2024.

While the state lost nearly 300 people to domestic migration, it gained 5,126 people by international migration for a net gain of 4,835 people moving into the state in 2024.

The U.S. population surpassed 340 million and grew by nearly a full percent between 2023 and 2024, the highest growth in decades, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Nearly 84% of the nation’s 3.3 million new residents are associated with international migration.

Natural increase accounted for about 15.6% of national growth in the U.S. in 2024, with 519,000 more births than deaths — up from the historic low in 2021 when births outpaced deaths by 146,000.

“An annual growth rate of 1.0% is higher than what we’ve seen over recent years but well within historical norms,” Census Bureau Demographer Kristie Wilder

said in a Thursday release.

“What stands out is the diminishing role of natural increase over the last five years, as net international migration has become the primary driver of the nation’s growth.”

Since the last Census release, the bureau adjusted its migration estimate to account for a “notable” increase in “non-U.S.-born immigration” — the number of refugees, people released by U.S. Border Patrol and by those held on parole by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations.

As a result, the 2024 international migration totals appear inflated in retrospective comparison to totals from previous years.

North Dakota officials see “legal immigration” as an opportunity to address statewide workforce shortages,

as recent population growth isn’t enough to fill the state’s nearly 30,000 job vacancies.

“We look forward to working with the state Legislature in the upcoming session to set North Dakota up for even greater success and population growth, including addressing much-needed property tax reform and relief,” Armstrong said in the Thursday release.