Stutsman County population falls 125 as surrounding counties also decline
Stutsman County fell to 21,414 residents, while Foster and Wells counties also slid, sharpening pressure on schools, workers and the tax base.
Stutsman County lost 125 residents in the latest federal estimate, dropping to 21,414 on July 1, 2025. In a county where every household affects school enrollment, retail traffic and local tax collections, that is not just a statistic, it is a measure of how hard Jamestown and the rest of Stutsman County are being asked to hold onto people.
The Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 county estimates, based on a July 1, 2025 reference date and released in March 2026, showed Stutsman County down from 21,546 a year earlier. The decline amounted to about 0.3% over the year and left the county 0.8% below its April 1, 2020 estimates base, a sign that the population loss has not been a one-year stumble but a longer, slower slide. North Dakota, meanwhile, kept growing, reaching a record 799,358 residents, which sharpens the contrast between a state that is still expanding overall and counties in the south-central part of the state that are slipping.
The regional picture was similar. Foster County fell to 3,212 from 3,323, and Wells County dropped to 3,729 from 3,803. LaMoure County was the exception, rising to 4,135 from 4,051. That pattern suggests Stutsman County’s problem is not isolated to one employer, one town or one bad year. It points instead to a broader regional fight over workers, young families and the people who decide where to settle.
Jamestown, the county seat, adds another layer to the story. Its July 1, 2024 estimate was 15,789, down from a 2020 census count of 15,849. The city remains by far the county’s largest population center, so even small changes there can ripple through school classrooms, Main Avenue storefronts and city and county budgets.
The county’s age and housing profile helps explain why the stakes are so high. Stutsman County’s QuickFacts profile shows 21.8% of residents were 65 or older, while 19.7% were under 18. It also listed 10,434 housing units as of July 1, 2024 and a median gross rent of $774. That mix leaves local leaders facing a blunt test: whether the county can keep enough working-age residents to fill jobs, support families and replace the residents who are aging out of the workforce.
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