Irish Population in North Dakota by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Irish population in North Dakota totals 54,562, with representation in every incorporated city included in this analysis. Leading communities are found in Fargo (10,431), followed by Bismarck (5,101) and Grand Forks (4,755), reflecting a strong urban presence. Despite this broad municipal footprint, the statewide count exceeds the combined city totals - suggesting that many Irish residents may live in unincorporated areas or towns below the population threshold used here. The analysis below explores how Irish communities are distributed across North Dakota and how this compares with broader patterns nationwide.

Top 5 cities with the largest Irish population in North Dakota

View All
  • 1
    Fargo
    Irish population in Fargo is 10,431
    8.08% of Fargo population is Irish
  • 2
    Bismarck
    Irish population in Bismarck is 5,101
    6.88% of Bismarck population is Irish
  • 3
    Grand Forks
    Irish population in Grand Forks is 4,755
    8.08% of Grand Forks population is Irish
  • 4
    Minot
    Irish population in Minot is 3,338
    6.97% of Minot population is Irish
  • 5
    West Fargo
    Irish population in West Fargo is 2,735
    6.95% of West Fargo population is Irish

Overview of Irish population in North Dakota

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey documents North Dakota with 54,562 Irish residents (7% of 779,361 total state population), ranking the state at the 2nd percentile nationally among U.S. jurisdictions for Irish demographic representation.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show North Dakota's Irish demographic representation of 7% remains below the national average of 9.4%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates North Dakota contains 54,562 Irish residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total Irish population of 31.2 million, constituting a minimal fraction of the national demographic community relative to the state's overall population size.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data indicate North Dakota maintains fewer than 1 Irish per square mile, compared to the national average of 8.8 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with minimal demographic representation nationally.
  • Need additional overviews? Extended research data available for purchase and license. ➔

92 Cities in North Dakota Ranked by Irish Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Irish populations across all incorporated cities in North Dakota, with no cities recording zero residents identified as Americans of Irish birth or descent. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in North Dakota ranked by Irish population count
Rank by Irish Population
City
Irish Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total North Dakota Irish Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Fargo 10,431 8.08% 19.12%
2 Bismarck 5,101 6.88% 9.35%
3 Grand Forks 4,755 8.08% 8.71%
4 Minot 3,338 6.97% 6.12%
5 West Fargo 2,735 6.95% 5.01%
6 Dickinson 1,968 7.80% 3.61%
7 Mandan 1,946 8.01% 3.57%
8 1,612 5.76% 2.95%
9 1,163 7.37% 2.13%
10 574 8.76% 1.05%
11 469 6.54% 0.86%
12 393 4.92% 0.72%
13 383 6.37% 0.70%
14 327 7.59% 0.60%
15 228 12.43% 0.42%
16 226 8.85% 0.41%
17 222 5.38% 0.41%
18 197 6.44% 0.36%
19 196 9.03% 0.36%
20 192 9.19% 0.35%
21 161 9.80% 0.30%
22 159 6.34% 0.29%
22 159 4.01% 0.29%
23 139 8.31% 0.25%
24 137 6.64% 0.25%
25 132 22.64% 0.24%
26 130 13.93% 0.24%
27 120 15.75% 0.22%
28 119 9.43% 0.22%
29 117 7.67% 0.21%
30 113 9.09% 0.21%
31 109 8.23% 0.20%
32 108 9.47% 0.20%
33 98 3.71% 0.18%
34 92 8.42% 0.17%
35 89 9.02% 0.16%
36 87 6.67% 0.16%
37 83 11.25% 0.15%
38 82 4.01% 0.15%
39 79 12.01% 0.14%
40 76 8.73% 0.14%
40 76 3.36% 0.14%
41 74 6.33% 0.14%
42 73 11.89% 0.13%
43 69 4.65% 0.13%
44 68 11.00% 0.12%
44 68 10.12% 0.12%
44 68 7.19% 0.12%
44 68 7.74% 0.12%
45 67 7.23% 0.12%
46 66 5.50% 0.12%
47 65 5.82% 0.12%
48 64 3.72% 0.12%
49 62 3.02% 0.11%
50 54 6.08% 0.10%
51 52 8.93% 0.10%
52 51 6.87% 0.09%
53 49 4.91% 0.09%
54 48 7.52% 0.09%
54 48 1.76% 0.09%
55 47 5.07% 0.09%
56 46 5.62% 0.08%
57 44 7.07% 0.08%
58 42 2.76% 0.08%
59 39 2.72% 0.07%
60 38 5.14% 0.07%
61 37 2.54% 0.07%
62 36 3.96% 0.07%
62 36 4.69% 0.07%
62 36 4.65% 0.07%
63 32 4.56% 0.06%
64 31 4.68% 0.06%
64 31 4.61% 0.06%
64 31 2.66% 0.06%
65 29 4.61% 0.05%
65 29 3.21% 0.05%
66 28 4.38% 0.05%
66 28 3.68% 0.05%
66 28 3.04% 0.05%
67 27 3.08% 0.05%
67 27 4.38% 0.05%
68 24 3.67% 0.04%
69 23 2.24% 0.04%
69 23 2.99% 0.04%
69 23 4.58% 0.04%
70 21 2.46% 0.04%
71 19 2.70% 0.03%
72 18 3.53% 0.03%
73 16 2.92% 0.03%
74 12 1.28% 0.02%
75 11 1.73% 0.02%
76 9 0.94% 0.02%
Need the complete table? Full rankings and the underlying data sets for California and other locations are available for purchase or license.

Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in North Dakota by their Irish population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Irish population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Irish ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Irish alone, while others identify as Irish along with another race (such as Irish and German).
  • We’ve used the “Irish alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Irish population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Irish alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Irish .
  2. % of Total North Dakota Irish Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Irish population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Irish populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported Irish population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Irish populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.