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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Wells County is a county of North Dakota with 3,890 residents. Its economy produced $444 million in 2024 (ranked #25 of 53 counties) and had 1,438 jobs with an average annual pay of $49,991 (#43 for pay). The unemployment rate was 1.9% in 2026M09.
Wells County produced about $444 million of goods and services in 2024, which is 0.6% of the combined output of the 53 counties of North Dakota that BEA reports (about 0.5% of the state's population lives here), and ranks it 25th of 53 on that measure. Per resident that is $114,074, 12% above the state average; the average for all counties of the state taken together is $102,006. In current dollars output grew 7.9% from 2023 to 2024, before adjusting for inflation. The gap between its output rank (25th) and its output-per-resident rank (15th) shows that a few high-value industries or a small population drive the figure.
BLS counts 1,438 jobs located in Wells County on average in 2024, spread over 207 employer sites (about 7 jobs per site). That is 0.37 jobs for every resident, below 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 $49,991, 24% below the average of all counties in the state ($49,991 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 fell 1.0% from 2023 to 2024.
The three largest private industries are health care and social assistance (42.3% of private jobs, $47,498 a year on average), wholesale trade (26.9% of private jobs, $85,366 a year on average), accommodation and food services (8.1% of private jobs, $12,015 a year on average). Together they hold 77.3% of private-sector jobs. Among industries with at least 3% of jobs, the best paying is wholesale trade at $85,366 a year, followed by other services (except public administration) ($55,963). Several of the biggest employers pay well below the county average: accommodation and food services ($12,015). Jobs there are plentiful but the pay is lower than the headline average suggests.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate in Wells County was 1.9%, 5% above the average of the state's counties (1.9% against 1.8%). The labour force (people working or looking for work) numbered 2,055. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 1.8% (2025M09) to 3.8% (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 $66,114 (ACS 2020–2024), 14% below the state median ($66,114 against $76,657). None of the largest places of the guide has this as its main county, which usually means a smaller or more rural county; the figures above still describe the whole county.
Counties close to Wells County in output are Bottineau County, Dickey County, Ransom County, Benson County. Compare their jobs, pay and unemployment on their own pages.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ | Rank among the 53 counties of North Dakota ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,890 | 28 of 53 |
| GDP 2024 | $444 million | 25 of 53 |
| GDP per resident | $114,074 | 15 of 53 |
| Jobs (QCEW 2024) | 1,438 | 29 of 53 |
| Average annual pay | $49,991 | 43 of 53 |
| Job change vs 2023 | -1.0% | 44 of 53 |
| Unemployment rate (lower is better) | 1.9% | 31 of 53 |
| Median household income | $66,114 | 39 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.
None of the 30 largest places of North Dakota has this as its main county, so the guide has no city page here. County figures on the other tabs are complete.
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 354 | 42.3% | $47,498 | 1.72 |
| Wholesale trade | 225 | 26.9% | $85,366 | 3.97 |
| Accommodation and food services | 68 | 8.1% | $12,015 | 0.52 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 51 | 6.1% | $55,963 | 1.18 |
| Manufacturing | 49 | 5.9% | $49,093 | 0.41 |
| Construction | 39 | 4.7% | $45,911 | 0.52 |
| Information | 21 | 2.5% | $33,802 | 0.78 |
| Professional and technical services | 16 | 1.9% | $55,981 | 0.16 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 14 | 1.7% | $10,290 | 0.58 |
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 | 2,055 |
| Employed residents | 2,016 |
| Unemployed residents | 39 |
| Unemployment rate | 1.9% |
| Jobs located in the county (QCEW) | 1,438 |
| Employer sites | 207 |
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% |
3,890 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024).
$444 million in 2024 (BEA, current dollars).
1.9% in 2026M09 (BLS, not seasonally adjusted; the latest month may be revised).
1,438 jobs on average in 2024 with an average annual pay of $49,991 (BLS QCEW).