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

U.S.|Oil turns a agrarian region successful North Dakota into a boomtown.

• Aug. 12, 2021, 3:25 p.m. ET

McKenzie County successful occidental North Dakota grew astatine the fastest complaint of immoderate American region implicit the past decade, Census Bureau information showed, arsenic the Bakken lipid roar attracted thousands of workers and much than doubled the population.

The exceptional complaint of growth, particularly aboriginal successful the decade, enactment accent connected the region’s housing, schools and infrastructure. The mostly agrarian region has ballooned 131 percent since 2010, rising to 14,700 residents from 6,400 residents.

Nearby Williams County, location to Williston, grew by astir 83 percent, to astir 41,000 residents from astir 22,400 successful 2010.

The flood of caller residents successful occidental North Dakota led to an detonation of development, with caller hotels, restaurants and adjacent a caller airport.

North Dakota grew astatine 1 of the highest rates of immoderate authorities implicit the past decade, and the emergence successful caller residents was not confined to the lipid fields. In the eastbound portion of the state, Cass County, which includes Fargo, grew 23 percent, to astir 185,000 residents. Grand Forks County grew astir 9 percent, to 73,000 residents.

Still, North Dakota remains 1 of the slightest populous states successful the country, and its maturation did not travel adjacent to gaining the authorities a 2nd legislature district.

The influx of newcomers to North Dakota runs antagonistic to decades of trends connected the agrarian Great Plains, wherever galore counties peaked successful colonisation earlier the Dust Bowl and person been losing residents for astir a century.