Overview
Barnes County sits in southeastern North Dakota, home to 10,794 residents (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). The county seat, Valley City, anchors a community where median household income reaches $70,230 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), placing it above roughly 67% of U.S. counties. With 35 FEMA-declared disasters on record (FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026). Barnes County ranks higher than 93% of U.S. counties for disaster frequency, a reflection of its position in a flood-prone corridor of the Northern Plains.
The labor market is tight. Unemployment stood at 2.9% for Annual 2025 (BLS LAUS, 2025), lower than about 83% of U.S. counties. Per capita income of $41,622 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) ranks higher than 83% of counties nationally, a notable figure for a rural county with fewer than 11,000 people.
Demographics
The median age in Barnes County is 42.9 years (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), older than about 63% of U.S. counties. The population skews white at 90.1% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), with smaller shares identifying as Hispanic (2.0%). Native American (1.9%). Black (1.3%), and Asian (1.3%).
Educational attainment stands out. Some 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), ranking above 77% of U.S. counties and above 89% of North Dakota counties. For a rural county, that's an unusual concentration of college-educated residents, likely tied to Valley City State University's presence.
Average commute time is 17.9 minutes (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), shorter than about 84% of U.S. counties. Most residents live and work within a tight geographic radius.
Education
Barnes County schools spent $15,275 per pupil (Education Data Portal, 2020). Total enrollment was 1,322 students (Education Data Portal, 2021) spread across a student-teacher ratio of 13.5:1 (Education Data Portal, 2021), more favorable than the national average. Smaller class sizes are common in rural districts, but Barnes County's ratio sits below that of 85% of North Dakota counties, meaning its classrooms are less crowded than most in the state.
The graduation rate reached 91.1% (Education Data Portal, 2019), clearing the national average and ranking above 76% of U.S. counties. That combination of above-average spending, smaller classes, and strong completion rates points to a school system that's performing well relative to its size.
Economy & Employment
Barnes County's labor force numbered 5,836 workers in Annual 2025, with 5,666 employed and just 170 unemployed (BLS LAUS, 2025). That 2.9% unemployment rate is lower than roughly 83% of U.S. counties, suggesting a labor market where available workers are scarce rather than abundant.
Median household income of $70,230 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) falls but ranks above 67% of all U.S. counties, reflecting how a handful of high-income metro areas pull the national number upward. Per capita income tells a stronger story at $41,622 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than 83% of counties nationally.
The poverty rate is 10.6% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), lower than about 68% of U.S. counties. In a state where agriculture and energy drive economic cycles, Barnes County's poverty level has stayed moderate.
Housing & Cost of Living
Housing in Barnes County remains affordable by most measures. The median home value of $168,100 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) produces a home-value-to-income ratio of 2.4x, well below the commonly cited 3x affordability threshold. Median gross rent of $779 per month (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) consumes just 13.3% of median household income, far below the 30% threshold that defines cost burden.
HUD Fair Market Rents for 2026 range from $718 for an efficiency unit to $1,590 for a four-bedroom (HUD FMR, 2026). The two-bedroom FMR of $948 translates to a fair market rent affordability ratio of 16.2% of median income, still comfortably below the cost-burden line.
The county has 5,706 total housing units with 854 vacant, producing a 15.0% vacancy rate (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). That's near the middle of all U.S. counties but below most North Dakota counties, where rural depopulation has left higher vacancy rates in many areas. The relatively moderate vacancy rate suggests Barnes County's housing stock is holding occupancy better than much of the state.
Health & Wellness
Health outcomes in Barnes County are a mixed picture. On the positive side, rates of poor physical health (11.2%) and poor mental health (15.1%) are both lower than the vast majority of U.S. counties (CDC PLACES, 2023). The poor physical health rate is lower than about 93% of counties nationally, and poor mental health is lower than about 96%.
Obesity, however, is a concern. At 38.5% (CDC PLACES, 2023), the rate is higher than roughly 52% of U.S. counties. Diabetes prevalence sits at 9.0% (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than about 86% of counties, a somewhat surprising gap given the obesity figure.
High blood pressure affects 30.1% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than about 76% of U.S. counties. Depression prevalence is 21.4% (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than about 79% of counties. Cholesterol screening reaches 81.5% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023), and 71.1% report an annual checkup (CDC PLACES, 2023), though the checkup rate ranks lower than about 86% of U.S. counties.
The uninsured rate of 7.2% (CDC PLACES, 2023) is lower than about 93% of U.S. counties, meaning most Barnes County residents have some form of health coverage.
Climate & Natural Disasters
Barnes County sits in the cold end of the national temperature range. The average temperature is 43.7°F (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), with highs averaging 54.5°F and lows hitting 32.9°F. That puts the county lower than about 91% of U.S. counties by average temperature. Winter is long and serious here.
The disaster record is the bigger story. FEMA has logged 35 federal disaster declarations for North Dakota going back to 1965, and Barnes County's disaster count ranks higher than 93% of U.S. counties (FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026). Flooding is the dominant threat by a wide margin: 19 of the 35 declarations were flood events. Severe storms account for 12 more. There's also 1 winter storm declaration, 1 coastal storm, and 2 biological (COVID-era) declarations.
The flood history runs deep. Declarations go back to 1965, with particularly active stretches in the late 1990s, 2010 to 2011, and again from 2019 to 2020. Ten declarations have come since 2018 alone. The most recent was a severe storm in October 2025.
For anyone buying property here, flood risk isn't a remote possibility. It's a documented pattern across six decades. Flood insurance and an honest look at elevation matter more than they do in most of the country.
Financial Profile
IRS data from tax year 2021 shows 5,100 returns filed in Barnes County, with an average adjusted gross income of $71,980 and average total income of $73,858 (IRS SOI, 2021). The average AGI ranks higher than about 73% of U.S. counties.
Social Security beneficiaries number 2,820 (SSA OASDI, 2024), representing 26.1% of the total population. That share reflects the county's older age profile and is consistent with a median age of 42.9 years. In a small county, Social Security payments form a meaningful share of the local income base.
Key Comparisons
Barnes County's profile reveals some distinctive contrasts with state and national patterns.
Income tells different stories depending on the measure. Median household income of $70,230 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) sits at the 45th state ranking among North Dakota counties, essentially mid-pack. But per capita income at $41,622 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) ranks in the top 58% within the state and above 83% of all U.S. counties, suggesting higher individual earnings relative to household size.
Housing affordability is well ahead of both benchmarks. The 2.4x home-value-to-income ratio sits below the national norm, and rent consumes just 13.3% of household income. Nationally, many counties see that figure above 25%.
Health metrics are generally favorable when compared nationally. Poor physical and mental health rates fall in the bottom 10% of U.S. counties (meaning better outcomes), though obesity at 38.5% hovers near the national median.
The disaster count of 35 places Barnes County among the most disaster-declared counties in the nation. Within North Dakota, it ranks higher than 85% of counties for disaster frequency.
Education outcomes exceed national averages across the board: higher graduation rates, more spending per pupil, and smaller class sizes. Within North Dakota, the 91.1% graduation rate ranks above 90% of counties in the state.
The 2.9% unemployment rate (BLS LAUS, 2025) is lower than 72% of North Dakota counties, a strong position in a state that already runs well below the national average.
Data Sources
Census ACS 5-Year, 2023: population, income, housing, demographics, poverty, education attainment, commute times
BLS LAUS, 2025: unemployment rate, labor force, employment counts
CDC PLACES, 2023: health outcomes including obesity, diabetes, depression, blood pressure, mental health, physical health, insurance coverage, preventive care
HUD Fair Market Rents, 2026: rental cost benchmarks by bedroom count
FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026: disaster declarations and history
IRS Statistics of Income, 2021: tax returns, adjusted gross income, total income
NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025: temperature averages
SSA OASDI, 2024: Social Security beneficiary counts
Education Data Portal: per-pupil spending (2020), enrollment and student-teacher ratio (2021), graduation rate (2019)