Billings County, North Dakota
| Billings County, North Dakota | |
|---|---|
 Billings County Courthouse in Medora, North Dakota | |
 Location in the state of North Dakota | |
 North Dakota's location in the U.S. | |
| Founded | May 4, 1886 |
| Named for | Frederick H. Billings |
| Seat | Medora |
| Largest city | Medora |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,153 sq mi (2,986 km2) |
| • Land | 1,149 sq mi (2,976 km2) |
| • Water | 4.6 sq mi (12 km2), 0.4% |
| Population (Est.) | |
| • (2014) | 901 |
| • Density | 0.7/sq mi (0/km²) |
| Congressional district | At-large |
| Time zone | Mountain: UTC-7/-6 |
| Website |
www |
Billings County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 783,[1] making it the second-least populous county in North Dakota. Its county seat and only incorporated place is Medora.[2]
The Territorial legislature authorized Billings County in 1879, naming it for Northern Pacific Railway president Frederick H. Billings. It was organized seven years later, on May 4, 1886, at a meeting in Medora. The county's area was later reduced by erecting new counties: Golden Valley County in 1912 and Slope County in 1915.[3]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,153 square miles (2,990 km2), of which 1,149 square miles (2,980 km2) is land and 4.6 square miles (12 km2) (0.4%) is water.[4] The South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park lies in the central part of the county, just north of Medora.
Major highways
Interstate 94
U.S. Highway 85
Adjacent counties
- McKenzie County (north)
- Dunn County (northeast)
- Stark County (east)
- Slope County (south)
- Golden Valley County (west)
National protected areas
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,323 | — | |
| 1890 | 170 | −87.2% | |
| 1900 | 975 | 473.5% | |
| 1910 | 10,186 | 944.7% | |
| 1920 | 3,126 | −69.3% | |
| 1930 | 3,140 | 0.4% | |
| 1940 | 2,531 | −19.4% | |
| 1950 | 1,777 | −29.8% | |
| 1960 | 1,513 | −14.9% | |
| 1970 | 1,198 | −20.8% | |
| 1980 | 1,138 | −5.0% | |
| 1990 | 1,108 | −2.6% | |
| 2000 | 888 | −19.9% | |
| 2010 | 783 | −11.8% | |
| Est. 2014 | 901 | 15.1% | |
As of the census of 2000, there were 888 people, 366 households, and 255 families residing in the county. The population density was 0.79 people per square mile (0.31/km²). There were 529 housing units at an average density of 0.45 per square mile (0.18/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.96% White, 0.11% Native American, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. 0.34% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 44.2% were of German, 17.5% Ukrainian, 8.2% Norwegian and 5.4% Irish ancestry.
There were 366 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 112.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.4 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,667, and the median income for a family was $35,750. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $21,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,186. About 10.7% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.
Population by decade
Politics
The county is traditionally Republican. In each of the last three elections the Republican candidate has received over 70% of the county's vote.[9] However, it has some third party or independent interest. Billings county gave Ross Perot over 20% of the vote in both of his campaigns.[10][11] It also gave Pat Buchanan approximately 6% when he ran as the Reform Party's candidate.[12]
Recreation
The Bully Pulpit Golf Course is located three miles south of Medora.
Communities
City
- Medora (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ↑ "County History". Official Portal for North Dakota State Government. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
- ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- ↑ The New York Times Electoral Map (Zoom in on North Dakota)
- ↑ David Leip's Presidential Election Atlas - 1992 statistics
- ↑ David Leip's Presidential Election Atlas - 1996 statistics
- ↑ David Leip's Presidential Election Atlas - 2000 statistics
- Notes
- ↑ The total for 1910 includes population (8,009) of townships taken to form Golden Valley and Slope Counties in 1912 and 1915, respectively.
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McKenzie County | Dunn County | | |
| Golden Valley County |  |
Stark County | ||
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| Slope County |
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