The county economy from official statistics, with source and year on every table.
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Foster County is a county of North Dakota with 3,358 residents. Its economy produced $309 million in 2024 (ranked #30 of 53 counties) and had 1,542 jobs with an average annual pay of $57,351 (#21 for pay). The unemployment rate was 1.4% in 2026M09.
Foster County produced about $309 million of goods and services in 2024, which is 0.4% of the combined output of the 53 counties of North Dakota that BEA reports (about 0.4% of the state's population lives here), and ranks it 30th of 53 on that measure. Per resident that is $92,050, 10% below the state average; the average for all counties of the state taken together is $102,006. In current dollars output grew -14.1% from 2023 to 2024, before adjusting for inflation.
BLS counts 1,542 jobs located in Foster County on average in 2024, spread over 173 employer sites (about 9 jobs per site). That is 0.46 jobs for every resident, above the 0.39 of the typical county in North Dakota, which tells you whether the county is a place people mostly commute to for work or a place they commute from. The average annual pay per job was $57,351, 12% below the average of all counties in the state ($57,351 against $65,496). Average pay is total wages divided by jobs, so it is pulled up by high earners and counts part-time jobs as whole jobs; it is not the pay of a typical worker. The number of jobs rose 0.3% from 2023 to 2024.
The three largest private industries are manufacturing (24.6% of private jobs, $60,656 a year on average), retail trade (19.7% of private jobs, $35,395 a year on average), health care and social assistance (19.1% of private jobs, $54,443 a year on average). Together they hold 63.3% of private-sector jobs. Among industries with at least 3% of jobs, the best paying is wholesale trade at $81,596 a year, followed by construction ($61,933). Several of the biggest employers pay well below the county average: retail trade ($35,395), accommodation and food services ($18,813). Jobs there are plentiful but the pay is lower than the headline average suggests.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate in Foster County was 1.4%, 22% below the average of the state's counties (1.4% against 1.8%). The labour force (people working or looking for work) numbered 1,725. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 1.4% (2025M12) to 2.2% (2026M01); the latest month is preliminary and BLS revises it. These county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month across years.
The median household income was $87,831 (ACS 2020–2024), 15% above the state median ($87,831 against $76,657). The guide covers 1 city with this as the main county: Carrington. Open any of them for rent, home values, commuting and climate.
Counties close to Foster County in output are LaMoure County, Oliver County, Burke County, Towner County. Compare their jobs, pay and unemployment on their own pages.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ | Rank among the 53 counties of North Dakota ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,358 | 32 of 53 |
| GDP 2024 | $309 million | 30 of 53 |
| GDP per resident | $92,050 | 23 of 53 |
| Jobs (QCEW 2024) | 1,542 | 27 of 53 |
| Average annual pay | $57,351 | 21 of 53 |
| Job change vs 2023 | +0.3% | 37 of 53 |
| Unemployment rate (lower is better) | 1.4% | 2 of 53 |
| Median household income | $87,831 | 5 of 53 |
Federal jobs in North Dakota (255) →All cities of North DakotaState guide: North Dakota
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
Cities of this guide whose main county is Foster County.
| City ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ | Median home value ⇅ | Bachelor's+ ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrington | 2,168 | $77,171 | $778 | $150,600 | 32.2% |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 272 | 24.6% | $60,656 | 2.15 |
| Retail trade | 218 | 19.7% | $35,395 | 1.42 |
| Health care and social assistance | 211 | 19.1% | $54,443 | 0.95 |
| Wholesale trade | 152 | 13.7% | $81,596 | 2.50 |
| Accommodation and food services | 86 | 7.8% | $18,813 | 0.61 |
| Construction | 72 | 6.5% | $61,933 | 0.89 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 55 | 5.0% | $52,698 | 4.41 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 23 | 2.1% | $12,169 | 0.89 |
| Professional and technical services | 18 | 1.6% | $86,123 | 0.17 |
A location quotient above 1 means the industry is more concentrated here than in the US. BLS withholds sectors with too few employers.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Labour force | 1,725 |
| Employed residents | 1,700 |
| Unemployed residents | 25 |
| Unemployment rate | 1.4% |
| Jobs located in the county (QCEW) | 1,542 |
| Employer sites | 173 |
Residents employed and jobs located here differ: many residents commute to other counties.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP 2024 ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Unemployment ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 193,400 | $19,105 million | $98,784 | 128,033 | $66,805 | 1.8% |
| Burleigh County | 100,600 | $7,809 million | $77,629 | 58,033 | $63,464 | 1.7% |
| Grand Forks County | 72,923 | $5,920 million | $81,185 | 40,704 | $59,530 | 1.6% |
| Ward County | 68,973 | $5,094 million | $73,850 | 31,358 | $60,491 | 1.7% |
| Williams County | 39,555 | $7,473 million | $188,917 | 27,125 | $91,464 | 2.1% |
| Morton County | 33,777 | $1,977 million | $58,534 | 12,332 | $58,642 | 1.8% |
| Stark County | 33,302 | $3,605 million | $108,237 | 19,526 | $72,320 | 1.9% |
| Stutsman County | 21,549 | $1,938 million | $89,934 | 11,076 | $56,489 | 1.6% |
| Richland County | 16,584 | $1,478 million | $89,120 | 7,970 | $54,185 | 1.6% |
| McKenzie County | 14,321 | $4,355 million | $304,090 | 11,484 | $90,997 | 1.9% |
| Rolette County | 11,924 | $595 million | $49,900 | 4,591 | $52,347 | 2.9% |
| Ramsey County | 11,556 | $883 million | $76,410 | 5,587 | $50,822 | 1.5% |
| Barnes County | 10,773 | $853 million | $79,183 | 4,474 | $51,625 | 1.9% |
| Walsh County | 10,396 | $1,027 million | $98,790 | 4,790 | $57,220 | 2.0% |
| McLean County | 9,823 | $1,016 million | $103,460 | 3,404 | $68,874 | 1.8% |
| Mountrail County | 9,507 | $2,277 million | $239,496 | 5,341 | $77,655 | 2.0% |
| Mercer County | 8,337 | $1,185 million | $142,168 | 4,450 | $83,476 | 2.1% |
| Traill County | 7,970 | $634 million | $79,546 | 3,562 | $58,753 | 2.0% |
| Pembina County | 6,727 | $813 million | $120,911 | 3,284 | $58,468 | 2.7% |
| Bottineau County | 6,378 | $586 million | $91,901 | 2,491 | $52,666 | 1.6% |
| Benson County | 5,808 | $366 million | $62,932 | 1,973 | $53,294 | 2.1% |
| Ransom County | 5,643 | $387 million | $68,573 | 1,997 | $49,719 | 1.5% |
| McHenry County | 5,207 | $279 million | $53,523 | 1,298 | $55,382 | 2.5% |
| Dickey County | 4,935 | $519 million | $105,119 | 1,979 | $54,233 | 0.9% |
| LaMoure County | 4,118 | $341 million | $82,820 | 1,406 | $51,019 | 1.7% |
| Dunn County | 4,040 | $1,931 million | $478,094 | 2,076 | $85,812 | 2.5% |
| Pierce County | 3,928 | $267 million | $68,064 | 1,606 | $49,698 | 2.0% |
| Wells County | 3,890 | $444 million | $114,074 | 1,438 | $49,991 | 1.9% |
| Sargent County | 3,804 | $1,784 million | $468,853 | 2,762 | $63,818 | 1.8% |
| Sioux County | 3,740 | $151 million | $40,274 | 1,491 | $55,889 | 2.4% |
| Cavalier County | 3,633 | $589 million | $162,181 | 1,232 | $56,941 | 1.7% |
| Foster County | 3,358 | $309 million | $92,050 | 1,542 | $57,351 | 1.4% |
| Emmons County | 3,254 | $178 million | $54,571 | 943 | $51,172 | 2.5% |
| Nelson County | 3,016 | $234 million | $77,560 | 1,040 | $46,926 | 1.6% |
| Bowman County | 2,906 | $251 million | $86,213 | 1,344 | $55,095 | 1.5% |
| McIntosh County | 2,497 | $152 million | $61,035 | 998 | $46,427 | 1.4% |
| Hettinger County | 2,432 | $152 million | $62,520 | 673 | $49,717 | 1.7% |
| Kidder County | 2,377 | $189 million | $79,381 | 732 | $49,188 | 1.9% |
| Eddy County | 2,307 | $221 million | $95,824 | 711 | $41,146 | 1.7% |
| Renville County | 2,304 | $232 million | $100,726 | 678 | $51,585 | 1.6% |
| Grant County | 2,269 | $104 million | $46,050 | 661 | $50,022 | 1.7% |
| Griggs County | 2,245 | $204 million | $90,906 | 789 | $52,573 | 1.5% |
| Divide County | 2,167 | $273 million | $126,166 | 697 | $60,322 | 1.4% |
| Burke County | 2,156 | $293 million | $135,835 | 662 | $69,134 | 1.4% |
| Adams County | 2,145 | $169 million | $78,862 | 844 | $50,272 | 1.8% |
| Towner County | 2,079 | $287 million | $138,281 | 658 | $52,878 | 1.6% |
| Oliver County | 1,839 | $332 million | $180,746 | 706 | $91,626 | 2.8% |
| Logan County | 1,819 | $128 million | $70,596 | 638 | $40,546 | 1.7% |
| Steele County | 1,804 | $213 million | $118,090 | 536 | $62,000 | 2.3% |
| Golden Valley County | 1,653 | $118 million | $71,596 | 641 | $48,707 | 1.7% |
| Sheridan County | 1,303 | $68 million | $52,261 | 228 | $36,478 | 2.2% |
| Billings County | 1,024 | $224 million | $218,742 | 671 | $57,004 | 1.9% |
| Slope County | 766 | $45 million | $58,419 | 99 | $62,072 | 2.3% |
3,358 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024).
$309 million in 2024 (BEA, current dollars).
1.4% in 2026M09 (BLS, not seasonally adjusted; the latest month may be revised).
1,542 jobs on average in 2024 with an average annual pay of $57,351 (BLS QCEW).