The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on March 11, 1887, with areas partitioned from Bottineau, Rolette, McHenry and the now-extinct DeSmet counties. It was named for Gilbert A. Pierce, a Dakotas political figure. The county was not organized at that time, nor was it attached to another county for administrative or judicial purposes. It was attached to McHenry County on February 4, 1889, but that lasted only two months; on April 6 the county government was affected and the attachment to McHenry was terminated.
The county's boundaries were enlarged on November 8, 1892, when Church County was dissolved and a portion of its territory was annexed into Pierce.[4][5]
The geographical center of North America is in Pierce County, approximately six miles (9.7km) west of Balta.[6] Rugby has a monument for the center at the intersection of US 2 and ND 3.
Outline map of Pierce County, North Dakota, 1910
Geography
The North Fork of the Sheyenne River flows easterly through central Pierce County. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, mostly devoted to agriculture.[7] The terrain generally slopes to the north and east, with its highest point a hill near the SW county corner, at 1,634ft (498m) ASL.[8]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,082.466 square miles (2,803.57km2), of which 1,018.285 square miles (2,637.35km2) is land and 64.181 square miles (166.23km2) (5.93%) is water.[9] It is the 37th largest county in North Dakota by total area.[10]
U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010–2020[2]
As of the fourth quarter of 2024, the median home value in Pierce County was $151,940.[16]
As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 1,840 estimated households in Pierce County with an average of 2.07 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $63,214. Approximately 11.0% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Pierce County has an estimated 59.9% employment rate, with 27.9% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 93.9% holding a high school diploma.[2]
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (97.4%), Spanish (0.3%), Indo-European (1.8%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.5%), and Other (0.0%).
The median age in the county was 44.3 years.
Pierce County, North Dakota – racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the 2024 estimate, there were 3,853 people and 1,840 households residing in the county. There were 2,049 housing units at an average density of 2.01 per square mile (0.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.9% White (89.2% NH White), 0.8% African American, 5.1% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.1% of the population.[22]
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 3,990 people, 1,719 households, and 1,041 families residing in the county.[23] The population density was 3.92 inhabitants per square mile (1.5/km2). There were 2,040 housing units at an average density of 2.00 per square mile (0.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.15% White, 0.95% African American, 3.66% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from some other races and 3.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.80% of the population.[24]
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 4,357 people, 1,835 households, and 1,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 4.28 inhabitants per square mile (1.7/km2). There were 2,199 housing units at an average density of 2.16 per square mile (0.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.10% White, 0.46% African American, 3.90% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from some other races and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.01% of the population.
Of the 1,835 households, 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.6% were non-families, and 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 46.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,091 and the median income for a family was $55,304. Males had a median income of $39,511 versus $21,811 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,575. About 6.4% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 19.2% of those age 65 or over.
Pierce County voters have tended to vote Republican for decades. In only one national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).
United States presidential election results for Pierce County, North Dakota[25][26]
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