The numbers of foreign-born residents of North Dakota remained fairly steady from 2008 to 2009, but new immigrants are rapidly substituting for older, according to estimates released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Of the state's 15,013 foreign-born residents in 2008, about 56 percent -- 8,478 people -- were not U.S. citizens.
In 2009, there were 9,931 non-citizens among the state's 15,453 foreign-born, or about 64 percent.
The annual demographic snapshots of the states and selected subdivisions are released by the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Official population estimates based on the 2010 census will be released later.
Other tidbits from the newly released data:
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- The median age in Grand Forks County dropped from 28.7 years in 2008 to 27.1 years in 2009.
- The county's estimated population fell by 171 people from 2008 (66,585) to 2009 (66,414).
- Males accounted for 51.4 percent of the county's population in 2009, up from 51.3 percent in 2008.
- Grand Forks County's population was 94.8 percent white in 2009 (counting people who identified themselves as white and another race), 2.1 percent black, 4.9 percent American Indian and 1 percent Asian. Those who identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino, of any race, were 3.3 percent of the population.
- Children younger than 5 numbered 4,646, while people 75 or older numbered 3,642.
- About 2.5 percent of the county's population, or 1,635 people, describe themselves as of two or more races.
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- Of a Grand Forks County civilian labor force of 38,569 in 2009, 5.5 percent were unemployed, an increase from 2008's 3.9 percent.
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- The work force included 6,523 government workers.
- Of just more than 27,000 households in Grand Forks County, 493 reported income of $200,000 or more.
- The survey estimated that 6,251 people in the county -- about a tenth of the population -- had no health insurance in 2009.
- In North Dakota, 4,870 grandparents were living with their own grandchildren, and more than half of those grandparents -- 2,663 -- were responsible for their grandchildren.
- Of 419,436 North Dakotans age 25 or older in 2009, slightly more than 22,000 had less than a ninth-grade education. Slightly more than 80,000 had attained a bachelor's degree, and nearly 28,000 held a graduate or professional degree.
- Of a state civilian population, 18 years or older, that totaled 498,949, there were 52,159 veterans of military service.
- Of 30,004 North Dakotans who speak a language other than English at home, 7,957 report they speak English less than "very well."
- More than 305,000 of the state's residents claim some German heritage, while nearly 200,000 identify themselves as Norwegian, 50,000 Irish and 30,000 Swedish. But the state also claims 715 people of Greek ancestry, 175 Slovaks and 494 Lithuanians.
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- Of 263,757 males 15 and older in 2009, a total of 89,705 had never married, while 21,201 North Dakota men were divorced. Of 266,197 females 15 and older, 67,705 had never married and 21,625 were divorced.
Reach Haga at (701) 780-1102; (800) 477-6572, ext. 102; or send e-mail to chaga@gfherald.com .
