South African Population in North Dakota by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights
According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the South African population in North Dakota totals 590. Cass County contains the largest South African community with 224 residents, followed by Grand Forks County (65), Ramsey County (62), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in North Dakota by their South African populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.
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Top 5 counties with the largest South African population in North Dakota
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1Cass CountySouth African population in Cass County is 2240.12% of Cass County population is South African
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2Grand Forks CountySouth African population in Grand Forks County is 650.09% of Grand Forks County population is South African
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3Ramsey CountySouth African population in Ramsey County is 620.54% of Ramsey County population is South African
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4Williams CountySouth African population in Williams County is 590.15% of Williams County population is South African
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5Dunn CountySouth African population in Dunn County is 471.16% of Dunn County population is South African
Overview of South African population in North Dakota
- Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate North Dakota contains 590 South African residents (0.076% of 779,361 total state population), positioning the state at the 43rd percentile nationally among U.S. states for South African population concentrations.
- Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census data records indicate North Dakota's South African population of 0.076% exceeds the national average of 0.025% by a factor of 3.
- Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates North Dakota contains 590 South African residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total South African population of 83,184, 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 shows North Dakota's density of less than 0.01 South African Americans per square mile remains below the national average of 0.024 per square mile, indicating relatively sparse distribution compared to national demographic concentrations.
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53 Counties in North Dakota Ranked by South African Population
American Community Survey data [1] show South African population in North Dakota distributed across multiple counties, led by Cass County, Grand Forks County, Ramsey County, and Williams County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans of South African ancestry. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all counties included in this analysis*.
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 county in North Dakota by their South African population, using the most recent ACS data available.
How the Census defines South African 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 South African 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 South African alone, while others identify as South African along with another race (such as South African and German).
- We’ve used the “South African alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the South African population in each area.
How We Ranked the Data
This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as South African alone or in combination in county. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
- % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as South African .
- % of Total North Dakota South African Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. South African 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 South African 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.
- County that don’t have any reported South African 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 South African populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles 2023.
