Billings County

Billings County is located in western North Dakota, along the Montana border, within the state’s Badlands region. Created in 1879 and named for Northern Pacific Railway president Frederick H. Billings, the county developed around ranching and the later expansion of energy production in the Williston Basin. It is among North Dakota’s least populous counties, with a small population on the order of about one thousand residents, and settlement is widely dispersed. The county is predominantly rural, characterized by rugged buttes, deep ravines, and prairie landscapes, including portions of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and adjacent public lands. Land use centers on cattle ranching and agriculture, with oil and gas activity contributing to employment and infrastructure. Medora is the county seat and primary community, serving as an administrative center and a focal point for the area’s tourism-related services connected to the Badlands landscape and regional heritage.

Billings County is a sparsely populated county in western North Dakota, located in the Badlands region and including much of Theodore Roosevelt National Park (South Unit). The county seat is Medora, and the county is part of the state’s Far West planning region.

Population Size

• According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Billings County, North Dakota, the county’s population was 945 (2020).
• The same Census Bureau QuickFacts page lists a population estimate for 2023 for Billings County.

Age & Gender

• U.S. Census Bureau data.census.gov provides county-level demographic profiles (American Community Survey) that include:
  • Age distribution (share of population under 18, 18–64, and 65+, and detailed age bands)
  • Sex composition (male/female counts and percentages)

For Billings County, these measures are published through the county profile tables available on data.census.gov (ACS 5-year profiles), which are the standard source for age and sex distributions at the county level.

Racial & Ethnic Composition

• U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Billings County reports county-level percentages for:
  • Race (e.g., White, Black or African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, Two or More Races)
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race) as a separate ethnicity measure

More detailed race and ethnicity breakdowns (including single-race and multiracial detail) are also available in profile tables on data.census.gov.

Household and Housing Data

• U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Billings County provides summary indicators commonly used for local planning, including:
  • Number of households
  • Average household size
  • Owner-occupied housing rate
  • Total housing units
  • Additional housing characteristics (e.g., median value of owner-occupied housing units, selected housing cost measures)

For additional local government context and administrative resources, see the Billings County official website.

Billings County is a sparsely populated Badlands county in western North Dakota, where long distances and limited last‑mile infrastructure shape digital communication and make reliable home internet less uniform than in urban areas.

Direct county-level email usage statistics are not published in standard federal datasets; email access trends are inferred from proxy indicators such as household broadband and computer availability reported by the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS). These measures track the prerequisites for routine email use (a connected device and internet service), not email behavior itself.

Digital access indicators for Billings County are available through ACS “Computer and Internet Use” tables (broadband subscription, computer ownership) on data.census.gov. Age structure also influences likely email adoption: older residents are more likely to rely on traditional communication channels, while working-age residents generally show higher online service use; county age distributions are reported in ACS demographic profiles via the U.S. Census Bureau. Gender composition is typically close to parity and is not a primary determinant of email access relative to age and connectivity.

Connectivity constraints include rural topography, fewer wired providers, and greater dependence on fixed wireless, satellite, or mobile networks; broadband availability and technology types are documented by the FCC National Broadband Map.

County context: location, settlement pattern, and terrain factors

Billings County is in western North Dakota within the badlands region adjacent to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The county is overwhelmingly rural with very low population density, and it contains large areas of rugged terrain and extensive public lands. These characteristics generally increase the cost and complexity of deploying dense mobile networks and can contribute to coverage gaps and variability in performance, especially away from highway corridors and population clusters. County profile and geography can be cross-referenced through the U.S. Census Bureau and local government information available via Billings County, North Dakota.

Data scope and key distinction: availability vs. adoption

• Network availability (coverage): Whether a mobile operator reports service in an area (and at what technology generation such as LTE/5G). The primary U.S. source is the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC) mobile coverage layers and related reporting.
• Household adoption (use/subscription): Whether residents actually subscribe to and use mobile service and mobile broadband, and what devices they use. Adoption is measured through household surveys and provider subscription data; county-specific detail is often limited.

County-level adoption and device-type measures are not always published at the same geographic granularity as coverage maps. Where Billings County–specific metrics are unavailable, the most defensible approach is to cite authoritative state- or tract-level sources and explicitly note the limitation.

Mobile penetration or access indicators (adoption where available)

Household internet subscription indicators (proxy for mobile broadband adoption)

The most consistent public adoption dataset at small geographies is the American Community Survey (ACS), which reports whether households have internet subscriptions and the type of subscription. For county-level estimates, the relevant ACS tables include categories such as cellular data plan, broadband such as cable/fiber/DSL, and satellite.

• Primary source: data.census.gov (American Community Survey) provides county-level “Computer and Internet Use” tables (for example, ACS Table S2801 and related detailed tables) that can be filtered to Billings County, ND.
• Interpretation limitation: ACS reports household subscription types, not individual mobile phone ownership. A “cellular data plan” response indicates a household internet subscription via cellular, which is a useful proxy for reliance on mobile networks but does not measure smartphone ownership directly.

Mobile service subscription penetration (administrative data)

Administrative subscription metrics are published more often at the state level than at the county level.

• National/state reference point: FCC broadband subscription summaries and methodology are available through FCC broadband resources and the BDC program documentation. The FCC’s BDC program is the primary current framework for reported broadband availability and is linked from FCC Broadband Data.
• County limitation: Public, consistent county-level mobile subscription penetration (subscriptions per 100 residents) is not routinely released in a standardized format for all counties.

Mobile internet usage patterns and network availability (4G/5G)

Reported 4G LTE availability

In rural western North Dakota counties such as Billings, LTE coverage is generally present along major roads and near small settlements, with increasing likelihood of weaker signal and lower redundancy in sparsely populated areas.

• Primary source for availability: The FCC’s mobile availability data (BDC) provides provider-reported coverage by technology generation and should be treated as availability, not adoption. The most direct entry point is FCC Broadband Data, which links to maps and data downloads.

Reported 5G availability

5G deployments in very low-density counties are typically more limited than in metropolitan areas, and coverage may concentrate along highways or in/near populated nodes. The FCC BDC mobile layers are the authoritative national reference for provider-reported 5G availability.

• Primary source: FCC Broadband Data (mobile coverage by technology, including 5G).
• County limitation: Public sources generally do not provide a countywide “5G adoption rate.” Availability can be mapped; adoption requires survey/subscription data that is typically not published at the county level.

Practical usage patterns inferred from rural context (without claiming county-specific behavior)

Billings County’s settlement pattern and distances between population centers typically correspond to:

• higher dependence on LTE in remote areas,
• larger variability in speeds by location,
• more frequent reliance on outdoor/vehicle reception in fringe areas, and
• greater importance of backhaul availability and tower siting.

These are structural factors consistent with rural network economics, but they are not a substitute for county-specific usage measurement.

Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)

What can be measured publicly

• The ACS measures device ownership (computer types) and internet subscription types, but it does not provide a clean county-level breakdown of smartphone ownership vs. basic phones in the same direct way that some private surveys do.
• Some national surveys (for example, Pew Research Center) report smartphone ownership at national/regional levels rather than at the county level. County-specific smartphone vs. feature phone shares are generally not available in standardized public datasets.

What can be stated with limitations

• Smartphones are the dominant mobile device type in the U.S. overall, but assigning a Billings County–specific share requires a county-level dataset that is not commonly published.
• Tablets, hotspots, and fixed wireless receivers may play a larger practical role in rural households that use cellular data plans for home internet access, but this is better evaluated through ACS “cellular data plan” household subscription rates and state broadband assessments rather than device-type counts.

For locally grounded adoption proxies, ACS tables on cellular data plan subscriptions for Billings County are the most directly usable public indicators via data.census.gov.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage and connectivity

Population density and distance

• Very low density increases per-user infrastructure costs and reduces incentives for dense tower grids.
• Greater distances to services can increase the practical importance of mobile connectivity for navigation, safety, and access to online services, while also exposing the limits of coverage outside main corridors.

Terrain and land use

• Badlands terrain and river breaks can obstruct line-of-sight propagation and complicate tower placement.
• Large tracts of public land can affect siting and backhaul routing, influencing how evenly coverage extends away from highways and towns.

Economic and household factors (measured indirectly)

• Income, age, and housing characteristics influence both device ownership and subscription choices. For Billings County, the most defensible public demographic references are ACS profiles available through data.census.gov.
• State broadband planning documents sometimes synthesize adoption barriers and infrastructure priorities; North Dakota’s statewide broadband resources are commonly referenced through the State of North Dakota and state broadband program pages (availability and structure vary over time).

Summary of what is known vs. what is not (Billings County–specific)

• Best county-level adoption proxy (public): ACS household internet subscription types, including “cellular data plan,” via data.census.gov.
• Best county-level availability source (public): FCC BDC mobile coverage layers for LTE/5G availability via FCC Broadband Data.
• Commonly unavailable at county level (public, standardized): smartphone vs. feature phone ownership shares; countywide 5G adoption rates; carrier-specific subscriber counts.

This separation between reported coverage availability (FCC BDC) and household adoption/subscription (ACS) provides the most methodologically defensible overview for Billings County using authoritative public sources.

Billings County is a sparsely populated county in southwestern North Dakota, anchored by Medora and the Theodore Roosevelt National Park area. The local economy and culture are strongly shaped by tourism tied to the Badlands, ranching/agriculture, and long travel distances between communities—factors that typically correlate with heavy reliance on smartphones, messaging, and Facebook-style community information sharing in rural areas.

User statistics (penetration and active use)

• County-specific social media penetration is not directly published in major national datasets; most reputable sources report at the national and state level rather than for very small counties.
• Benchmark context (U.S. adults):
  • About 7 in 10 U.S. adults use social media (roughly 70%) according to the Pew Research Center social media fact sheet. This is the most commonly cited baseline for “active use” among adults.
  • Internet access as a prerequisite varies in rural areas; rural adults consistently report lower home broadband adoption than urban/suburban adults, per Pew Research Center broadband and internet adoption. In practice, rural social use often skews more mobile-first.

Age group trends

• Usage is highest among younger adults and remains majority-level through midlife:
  • Ages 18–29: highest rates across major platforms; near-universal smartphone ownership and heavy daily use patterns are consistently reported in Pew’s platform-by-age tables (Pew social media by demographic group).
  • Ages 30–49: typically the next-highest social usage tier; high Facebook and YouTube prevalence and substantial Instagram use.
  • Ages 50–64: majority use social media, but lower adoption of newer platforms (notably TikTok).
  • Ages 65+: lowest overall social usage; Facebook and YouTube dominate among users.
• Rural-county implication: in very small counties, visible “public” social activity can be disproportionately driven by working-age residents (30–64) and local organizations posting community updates (events, tourism, road/weather information), even when younger adults have the highest per-person usage.

Gender breakdown

• Across the U.S., women are more likely than men to use certain social platforms, especially Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, while YouTube usage is broadly high for both; Pew reports these differences in its platform demographic tables (Pew Research Center: social media use by gender).
• County-level gender splits for platform use are not routinely measured by public, high-quality surveys; the most defensible breakdown for Billings County is alignment with the national gender pattern above, moderated by local age structure and occupation mix.

Most-used platforms (share of U.S. adults; used as the best available benchmark)

Pew’s U.S. adult estimates provide the most reliable percentages available for platform reach; small-county figures are generally not published:

• YouTube: ~83% of U.S. adults
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Snapchat: ~27%
  Source: Pew Research Center social media fact sheet (latest reported figures; percentages may be updated periodically).

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and platform preferences)

• Mobile-first behavior is common in rural areas, where smartphones can substitute for limited fixed broadband; Pew’s internet adoption reporting documents persistent rural broadband gaps and higher reliance on mobile access (Pew broadband adoption fact sheet).
• Community-information use cases tend to concentrate on Facebook in rural communities (local news, events, school/activity announcements, community alerts), aligning with Facebook’s broad reach and group features.
• Video consumption is a dominant cross-age behavior (YouTube’s high penetration), supporting tourism discovery and “how-to” content relevant to travel, outdoor recreation, and practical tasks.
• Platform-by-age preference follows national patterns:
  • Younger adults: heavier TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat use and higher frequency of daily engagement.
  • Middle/older adults: heavier Facebook use; YouTube remains high across ages. Source: Pew platform usage by age.
• Engagement tends to be episodic and event-driven in small counties: local posts surge around seasonal tourism peaks, severe weather, road conditions, and community events, while day-to-day engagement concentrates in a smaller set of active posters and group administrators (a common pattern in low-population areas where fewer accounts generate most local-public content).

Billings County family-related public records primarily include vital records (birth and death certificates) maintained at the state level by the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Vital Records office rather than by the county. Marriage and divorce records are generally filed and processed through district court administration and statewide systems. Adoption records are created through court proceedings and are typically not publicly available.

Public-facing databases commonly used for associate-related research include the Billings County Clerk of Court docket and case access tools provided through the North Dakota Courts system (North Dakota Courts), as well as recorded-document indexes for property and related filings through the Billings County Recorder (Billings County, ND (official website)). Some county offices provide in-person index access even when online search is limited.

Records access occurs through (1) state online ordering and identity-verified requests for certified vital records via ND HHS (ND HHS Vital Records), and (2) in-person or written requests to the appropriate Billings County office for recorded documents and local administrative records, using contact details on the county site (Billings County Departments/Contacts).

Privacy restrictions commonly apply to birth records, adoption files, and many court records involving juveniles or sensitive matters; public access is governed by state confidentiality statutes and court access rules, with certified copies typically limited to eligible requesters.

Types of records available

• Marriage licenses and marriage records (Billings County)
  • Marriage licenses are issued at the county level and become part of the county’s marriage record series once returned and recorded after the ceremony.
• Divorce records (district court case files)
  • Divorces are recorded as civil court proceedings and typically include a judgment (decree) and related filings.
• Annulments (district court)
  • Annulments are handled through the courts and are maintained as civil case records similar to divorce files.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

• Marriage licenses/records

  • Filed/recorded with: Billings County Recorder (county recording office for vital/recorded documents).
  • State-level index/verification: North Dakota maintains statewide vital records functions through the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Vital Records.
  • Access methods: Common access routes include in-person or written requests to the Billings County Recorder for recorded marriage documents, and requests to the state vital records office for certified/official copies where permitted by law.
  • Reference: North Dakota HHS Vital Records

• Divorce decrees and annulment judgments

  • Filed/maintained with: North Dakota District Court for the county where the case was filed (Billings County cases are maintained in the district court system).
  • Access methods: Court records are accessed through the clerk of district court for copies of judgments/orders and case documents, subject to court rules and any sealing/redaction requirements. North Dakota provides statewide online case information through its court system for docket-level details and access procedures.
  • Reference: North Dakota Courts

Typical information included in these records

• Marriage licenses/records

  • Full legal names of the parties (including maiden name where applicable)
  • Date and place of marriage (or intended place, on the license)
  • Date of license issuance and license number/book-page or instrument identifiers (as recorded)
  • Officiant name and authority; certification/return information
  • Ages or dates of birth may appear depending on form/version and era
  • Witness information may appear depending on the form used

• Divorce decrees (judgments)

  • Names of parties; case number; court and venue
  • Date of filing and date of judgment
  • Disposition (divorce granted/denied) and findings required by North Dakota law
  • Terms of the judgment addressing property division, debts, spousal support, and restoration of a former name (where applicable)
  • Child-related provisions when relevant (custody, parenting time, child support)
  • Related documents in the case file may include pleadings, affidavits, proposed orders, support worksheets, and notices

• Annulment judgments

  • Names of parties; case number; court and venue
  • Legal basis for annulment and court findings
  • Orders concerning property, support, and children where applicable
  • Associated filings similar to other civil domestic-relations case files

Privacy or legal restrictions

• Certified copies and eligibility
  • North Dakota vital records administration generally restricts certified copies of vital records to persons with a direct and tangible interest and others authorized by law; informational/non-certified access policies vary by record type and office practice.
• Court record access and confidentiality
  • Divorce and annulment case files are court records, but access is governed by North Dakota court access rules, mandatory redactions, and confidentiality provisions.
  • Certain information is commonly protected or limited in public access, including Social Security numbers, certain financial account information, and protected/confidential information involving minors.
  • Judges may seal specific filings or limit access in particular cases (for example, to protect children, victims, or sensitive information), which restricts public inspection and copying.
• Public inspection of recorded documents
  • Recorded instruments held by the county recorder are generally public records, but copying and certification are subject to statutory fees, identification requirements for certified copies, and redaction practices where required by law.

Billings County is in western North Dakota along the Montana border, with Medora as the county seat and a large share of land tied to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and surrounding ranching/energy areas. It is one of North Dakota’s least-populated counties (roughly under 1,000 residents in recent Census-era estimates), with a small, dispersed settlement pattern and services concentrated in Medora and nearby Dickinson (Stark County).

Education Indicators

Public schools (count and names)

• Public school districts physically serving Billings County are limited, and most K–12 public schooling access is organized through nearby regional districts (commonly tied to the Dickinson area) rather than multiple in-county campuses.
• The most reliable way to confirm current school sites and attendance boundaries is through the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction directory: North Dakota DPI Districts & Schools.
• School names and counts by campus are not consistently reported at the “county only” level in public summaries; the county’s small population means student counts are often reported under the operating district rather than as a standalone county profile.

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

• County-specific student–teacher ratios and graduation rates are often suppressed or unstable due to very small cohort sizes.
• For official district-level accountability and graduation reporting used in North Dakota, reference the North Dakota education reporting portal: North Dakota Insights (State reporting).
• As a proxy context for small rural districts in western North Dakota, class sizes and student–teacher ratios tend to be lower than statewide urban districts, but exact current values should be taken from the district profiles in the sources above.

Adult educational attainment

• The most current, comparable adult attainment estimates are published through the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). For Billings County, use the ACS “Educational Attainment” table (age 25+), available via:
  • data.census.gov (ACS educational attainment tables)
• Typical indicators requested (share with high school diploma or higher; share with bachelor’s degree or higher) are available there, but point estimates in very small counties can have wide margins of error. When cited in local planning, Billings County commonly shows high school completion rates comparable to rural Great Plains counties, while bachelor’s degree attainment varies notably year to year because a small number of residents can shift percentages.

Notable programs (STEM, CTE, AP)

• In western North Dakota, advanced coursework and career pathways are commonly delivered through:
  • Career and Technical Education (CTE) offerings coordinated at the district level and through regional arrangements. North Dakota’s CTE framework is documented by the state: North Dakota Career & Technical Education.
  • Dual credit / college-in-the-high-school options are frequently provided via North Dakota higher education partners; program availability is typically listed by the operating school district rather than by county.
• Advanced Placement (AP) participation is not consistently reported at the Billings County level; AP and other advanced offerings (AP, concurrent enrollment) should be verified through the district(s) serving Medora-area students.

School safety measures and counseling resources

• School safety planning and student support services in North Dakota are structured at the district level, typically including:
  • building safety plans and coordination with local law enforcement/first responders,
  • student counseling services (often shared across multiple schools in small districts),
  • referral pathways for behavioral health supports.
• State-level school safety and support information is commonly coordinated through North Dakota education and health/human services resources; district-specific details remain the authoritative source for what is implemented in each school building.

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent)

• The most current county unemployment figures are produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). Billings County’s latest monthly and annual averages are available here: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS).
• Recent years in western North Dakota have generally reflected low unemployment relative to national averages, with month-to-month volatility more visible in small counties.

Major industries and sectors

• Billings County’s economy is shaped by a mix of:
  • tourism and recreation (Medora, Theodore Roosevelt National Park gateway activity),
  • accommodation and food services (seasonal peaks),
  • government/public administration and education/health services (local services often limited in-county; many services accessed in Dickinson),
  • construction and transportation tied to regional development,
  • agriculture/ranching and resource-related activity in the broader western North Dakota region.
• Industry composition by employment and earnings is available from:
  • BEA county employment and earnings
  • County Business Patterns (establishment counts by sector)

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

• County-level occupation shares (management, service, sales/office, natural resources/construction/maintenance, production/transportation) are available via ACS:
  • ACS occupation tables on data.census.gov
• In practice, service occupations tied to hospitality and visitor services, construction/trades, and transportation-related roles commonly represent visible employment locally/regionally, with professional roles concentrated in larger nearby labor markets.

Commuting patterns and mean commute time

• Commuting metrics (mean travel time to work; shares driving alone/carpooling; working from home) are available in ACS commuting tables:
  • ACS commuting characteristics (travel time and mode)
• Typical pattern in Billings County: a high reliance on personal vehicles and commuting to nearby employment centers, especially Dickinson, given limited in-county job density. Mean commute time is best cited directly from the current ACS table due to small-area variability.

Local employment vs out-of-county work

• Small population counties commonly show substantial cross-county commuting, with jobs in Stark County (Dickinson) and other western North Dakota hubs.
• The most direct dataset for residence-to-work flows is the Census Bureau’s LEHD/OnTheMap:
  • OnTheMap commuter flows (LEHD)
    This provides inflow/outflow counts showing the share of workers living in Billings County but working elsewhere, and vice versa.

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership rate and rental share

• Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing shares are available from ACS housing tenure tables:
  • ACS housing tenure (owner vs renter)
• Billings County’s housing tenure can shift materially year to year because the total number of occupied units is small; homeownership is typically the dominant tenure in rural western North Dakota counties, with rentals concentrated in the small town core and seasonal market.

Median property values and recent trends

• The ACS provides median value of owner-occupied housing units; this is the most consistent public series for small counties:
  • ACS median home value
• Trend context (proxy): western North Dakota values experienced notable volatility in the last decade tied to regional energy cycles and limited supply; Billings County-specific medians can move sharply with a small number of transactions, so multi-year ACS estimates are often used for stability.

Typical rent prices

• ACS provides median gross rent and rent distribution:
  • ACS median gross rent
• Local rent comparables are limited due to a small rental inventory; rents are most consistently observed in nearby Dickinson’s larger market, while Medora can reflect seasonal and tourism-driven pricing in parts of the lodging/rental ecosystem that are not fully captured as long-term rentals in ACS.

Types of housing

• Housing stock is largely:
  • single-family detached homes and manufactured housing in rural settings,
  • small multifamily buildings in limited quantities in/near Medora,
  • large rural lots/ranches outside town.
• Structure type distributions are available via ACS “Units in Structure” tables:
  • ACS units in structure

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools/amenities)

• Medora functions as the primary service node (seasonal tourism, local civic uses), while many residents are rurally dispersed with longer drives to groceries, healthcare, and full-service schools (often in adjacent counties).
• Proximity to schools and daily amenities is generally highest in the Medora area and lowest in the rural portions of the county; many households rely on regional trips to Dickinson for retail, healthcare, and services.

Property tax overview (rate and typical cost)

• North Dakota property taxes are administered locally with state oversight and vary by taxing district. County-level mill levies and effective tax rates are best sourced from:
  • North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner
  • County-specific levy and budget documents (often published through the county auditor/treasurer).
• Proxy context: rural counties commonly have lower median home values but can have material levy impacts due to small tax bases and infrastructure/service needs; “typical homeowner cost” is most accurately computed by combining (1) the county’s effective rate or levy structure with (2) the county’s median home value from ACS or assessed value summaries. For Billings County, public, stable countywide “average homeowner property tax paid” figures are not consistently published in a single official table, so the state and county tax publications remain the authoritative references.