Steele County, North Dakota

ND · FIPS 38091 Republican

Located in North Dakota, Steele County has a population of 1,804 residents and a median age of 46.9 years, making it the #3,136 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.9%. The median home value is $130,700, and the median household income is $77,500, which is 3% above the national median.

1,804
Population
#3,136 of 3,222
$77,500
Median Income
+3.1% #698 of 3,222
46.9 years
Median Age
+20.6% #486 of 3,222
12.9%
Poverty Rate
+2.1% #1,487 of 3,222

Demographics

Steele County has a population of 1,804, making it the #3,136 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.9 years, which is 20.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.8%
Native Born
0.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Steele County is $77,500, ranking #698 out of 3,222 counties — 3.1% above the national median. The poverty rate is 12.9% and unemployment stands at 3.3%.

Income#698
$77,500
+3.1%
vs nation
78th percentile
Per Capita#549
$43,071
+4.4%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poverty#1,487
12.9%
+2.1%
vs nation
54th percentile
Unemployment#845
3.3%
-38.3%
vs nation
74th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Steele County is $130,700 (-53.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $738/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.8%.

Home Value#2,510
$130,700
-53.6%
vs nation
22th percentile
Rent#2,541
$738
-36.5%
vs nation
21th percentile
Homeownership#996
77.8%
+20.8%
vs nation
69th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Steele County, 28.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 14.4% below the national average, ranking #843 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
28.9% −14.4% vs nation
Rank #843 of 3,222
74th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Steele County is 80.9 years. 14.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#135
80.9
+7.6%
vs nation
96th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#395
14.4%
-26.4%
vs nation
88th percentile
Diabetes#308
8.5%
-23.6%
vs nation
90th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#601
33.4%
-10.5%
vs nation
81th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#50
4.3
-22.9%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#196
3.5
-21.3%
vs nation
94th percentile
Uninsured Rate#355
5.7%
-45.5%
vs nation
89th percentile
Physical Inactivity#984
23.6%
-10.5%
vs nation
69th percentile
Food Insecurity#76
8.1%
-43.8%
vs nation
98th percentile

Substance Use

16.5% of adults in Steele County smoke , 37.2% are obese , and 24.2% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,128
16.5%
-8.1%
vs nation
64th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,206
37.2%
-1.9%
vs nation
62th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,890
24.2%
+21.8%
vs nation
8th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

10.8% of children in Steele County live in poverty .

Child Poverty#436
10.8%
-43.1%
vs nation
86th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Steele County is 77.2%. The mean commute time is 20.1 min, which is 27.2% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
77.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.1 min −27.2% vs nation
Rank #2,805 of 3,222
13th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Steele County voted Republican with a margin of 25.4%. The vote was 36.5% Dem / 61.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +25.4%
36.5% 61.9%
Dem 1,005 votes Rep
2020 REP +23.9%
36% 59.9%
Dem 1,088 votes Rep
2016 REP +17.9%
36.7% 54.6%
Dem 984 votes Rep
2012 DEM +1.9%
50.1% 48.2%
Dem 1,028 votes Rep
2008 DEM +20.4%
59.5% 39.1%
Dem 1,032 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Steele County, North Dakota

Steele County, North Dakota has a total population of 1,804, making it the 3,136th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Steele County is 46.9 years, which is 20.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Steele County is $77,500, which ranks #698 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 3.1% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.3%.

The median home value in Steele County is $130,700, 53.6% below the national median. Renters in Steele County pay a median gross rent of $738 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Steele County, 28.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 14.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.1 min.

Steele County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.1% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.9%).

All data for Steele County, North Dakota comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.