U.S. Census Numbers Show Rise Across the Board in North Dakota

(Fargo, ND) -- It's no surprise, North Dakota is growing at a fairly quick pace.

According to the latest reports from the U.S. Census Bureau, the state's largest metro area got even bigger as Fargo and West Fargo picked up significant gains.

Fargo's population expanded to 125,990 inhabitants, a rise of more than 19% from 2010, while West Fargo's population surged by nearly 50% to 38,626.

Overall, the state of North Dakota has a population of 779,094, which is a growth of nearly 16% since 2010. That put the state in the top five nationally for growth rate. 

As for a few more specifics, the population of McKenzie County, which lies in the heart of oil country and includes Watford City, grew by 131% in the same timeframe, which is more than any other county in the nation. Williams County, which includes Williston, ranked second nationally with an 83% population boost.

In all, nearly 70,000 people live in the core of the "Oil Patch", which consists of McKenzie, Williams, Mountrail and Dunn counties. This was reportedly driven up over the last decade by a massive 74% surge in residents.