Oil Turns Rural County Into Fastest Growing County in the U.S.

U.S.|Oil turns a rural county in North Dakota into a boomtown.

• Aug. 12, 2021, 3:25 p.m. ET

McKenzie County in western North Dakota grew at the fastest rate of any American county over the past decade, Census Bureau data showed, as the Bakken oil boom attracted thousands of workers and more than doubled the population.

The exceptional rate of growth, especially early in the decade, put stress on the region’s housing, schools and infrastructure. The mostly rural county has ballooned 131 percent since 2010, rising to 14,700 residents from 6,400 residents.

Nearby Williams County, home to Williston, grew by about 83 percent, to nearly 41,000 residents from about 22,400 in 2010.

The flood of new residents in western North Dakota led to an explosion of development, with new hotels, restaurants and even a new airport.

North Dakota grew at one of the highest rates of any state over the last decade, and the rise in new residents was not confined to the oil fields. In the eastern part of the state, Cass County, which includes Fargo, grew 23 percent, to nearly 185,000 residents. Grand Forks County grew about 9 percent, to 73,000 residents.

Still, North Dakota remains one of the least populous states in the country, and its growth did not come close to gaining the state a second congressional district.

The influx of newcomers to North Dakota runs counter to decades of trends on the rural Great Plains, where many counties peaked in population before the Dust Bowl and have been losing residents for almost a century.