Foster County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,397. Its county seat is Carrington.

History

The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on January 4, 1873, with lands partitioned from Pembina County. It was named for George I. Foster, a pioneer and member of the Territorial legislature. Its governing structure was not completed at that time, and it was not attached to another county for administrative purposes. Its boundaries were altered in 1881, two times in 1883, and finally in 1885 its boundary was set at the present configuration. Its county organization was effected on October 11, 1883.

Geography

The James River flows south-southeastward through the central part of Foster County. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, mostly devoted to agriculture, its eastern portion dotted with lakes and ponds. The terrain slopes to the south and east; its highest point is at its southwestern corner, at 1,942 ft ASL. The county has a total area of 647 sqmi, of which 635 sqmi is land and 11 sqmi (1.8%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in North Dakota by area.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Lakes

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Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, there were 3,397 people.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,343 people, 1,495 households, and 930 families in the county. The population density was 5.3 PD/sqmi. There were 1,801 housing units at an average density of 2.8 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 98.4% white, 0.6% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 54.2% were German, 35.9% were Norwegian, 9.8% were Irish, 5.8% were American, and 5.1% were Swedish. Of the 1,495 households, 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.8% were non-families, and 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age was 46.7 years. The median income for a household in the county was $41,066 and the median income for a family was $55,278. Males had a median income of $40,076 versus $29,189 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,945. About 3.4% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.

Population by decade

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Government

The county is divided into 18 townships for certain aspects of governance.

Townships

Politics

Foster County voters have traditionally voted Republican. In only two national elections since 1948 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).