What’s The Deal With North Dakota’s Population Explosion?

According to the 2020 population census, North Dakota is one of the fasting growing states in America.  For somebody like me who loves North Dakota for it's wide open spaces, lack of traffic, lack of crime, hunting and fishing opportunities, and lack of people overall.  I'm not so sure, I'm thrilled with this recent population swing.

North Dakota's population grew by over a hundred thousand people, 106,503 to be exact, according to 2020 census figures, ranking it in the top 5 percentage gains in the country.  North Dakota's official population as of 2020 was 779,094, according to an article in InForum.  That's an increase of 15.8% from 2010.

So what's the deal with this population explosion over the last 10 years?  Can't be the 20 below weather or 6 months of winter we get sometimes?  You guessed it, the population explosion has coincided with the Bakken oil boom over the course of the last 10 years.  The petroleum industry has brought a lot of new jobs and economic benefit to North Dakota.  Unlike the ag industry, where fewer people are needed these days, oil has been the big player in adding to the North Dakota population.

Governor Doug Burgum said the population reflects what North Dakota has to offer workers, families and businesses.

The last time North Dakota saw a population surge like this you have to go all the way back to 1900 to 1910, when the state jumped to a population of 257,910.  That's a long time ago, so this current population spike is significant.

The growth in population means more federal funding for North Dakota.  I'm cool with that, it's the traffic I can do with out.  Are you feeling me?