Ransom County, North Dakota

Ransom County, North Dakota
Ransom County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,703. Its county seat is Lisbon.
History
The Dakota Territory legislature created Ransom County on January 4, 1873. It was so named due to its military fort, which had been named Fort Ransom for Civil War veteran Major General Thomas E.G. Ransom. The fort had operated between 1867 and 1872. The county was not organized at that time, nor was it attached to another county for administrative or judicial purposes. Its proposed boundaries were altered two times during 1881. On April 4, 1881, the county government was effected. The county's area was again reduced in 1883 when Sargent County was created. Ransom County has retained its present configuration since that time.
Geography
The Sheyenne River meanders through Ransom County. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, dotted with lakes and ponds in its western part. The area is largely devoted to agriculture. The terrain slopes to the east and south; its highest point is on the north boundary line near its northwestern corner, at ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water.
Major highways
North Dakota Route 27
North Dakota Route 32
North Dakota Route 46
Adjacent counties
Cass County - northeast
Richland County - east
Sargent County - south
Dickey County - southwest
LaMoure County - west
Barnes County - northwest
Protected areas
Browns Ranch
Fort Ransom State Historic Site
Fort Ransom State Park
Nature Conservancy's Sheyenne Delta
North Country Trail
Pigeon Point Reserve
Sheyenne National Grassland (part)
Sheyenne State Forest
Lakes
Lone Tree Lake
Demographics
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 5,704 people.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 5,457 people, 2,310 households, and 1,466 families in the county. The population density was . There were 2,656 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.8% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.1% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 54.2% were German, 36.6% were Norwegian, 9.0% were Irish, 6.9% were Swedish, 5.1% were English, and 1.6% were American.
Of the 2,310 households, 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.5% were non-families, and 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age was 45.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,044 and the median income for a family was $59,973. Males had a median income of $42,380 versus $28,209 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,995. About 7.5% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.
Population by decade
Communities
Cities
Elliott
Enderlin (partly in Cass County)
Fort Ransom
Lisbon (county seat)
Sheldon
Census-designated places
Englevale
McLeod
Townships
Aliceton
Alleghany
Bale
Big Bend
Casey
Coburn
Elliott
Fort Ransom
Greene
Hanson
Island Park
Isley
Liberty
McLeod
Moore
Northland
Owego
Preston
Rosemeade
Sandoun
Scoville
Shenford
Springer
Sydna
Tuller
Politics
Ransom County is a swing county in presidential elections, having voted for both parties an equal number of times between 1976 and 2020. It voted for the Democrat in the 2000 and 2012 gubernatorial elections, and for the Republican in 2004, 2008, and 2016. It is also a bellwether county at the presidential level, having voted for the winner in every presidential election between the 1964 and 1984 and again from 1992 to 2016. The county broke its bellwether streak in 1988 and 2020, voting for the Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis in 1988 and Republican nominee Donald Trump in 2020, who both would lose the general election.
Ransom County is one of the most Democratic counties in North Dakota. In the 2018 election for U.S. Senate, it gave Heidi Heitkamp her 4th-highest total (60.6%), behind only Sioux, Rolette, and Benson counties.
Education
School districts include:
Enderlin Area Public School District 24
Fort Ransom Public School District 6
Kindred Public School District 2
LaMoure Public School District 8
Litchville-Marion Public School District 46
Lisbon Public School District 19
Milnor Public School District 2
North Sargent Public School District 3
Oakes Public School District 41
Wyndmere Public School District 42
In 1905 it had 22 school districts, with 16 not having a bond. Circa 1905 the county had 2,431 students in its three high schools, five grade schools, and 75 schoolhouses.
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Ransom County ND
References
External links
Ramson County official website
Ransom County map, North Dakota DOT
1881 establishments in Dakota Territory
Populated places established in 1881