Golden Valley County

Golden Valley County is a rural county in southwestern North Dakota, bordering Montana and positioned west of the Badlands region. Created in 1912 and organized in 1913, it developed alongside early-20th-century settlement and railroad-era agriculture on the northern Great Plains. The county is small in population, with fewer than 2,500 residents in recent censuses, and settlement is dispersed among small towns and open rangeland. Beach serves as the county seat and principal community. The landscape is characterized by rolling prairie, breaks, and badlands-adjacent terrain, with the Knife River system and tributaries contributing to local drainage. The economy is anchored in agriculture and ranching, with related services and limited local manufacturing and trade in the largest towns. Cultural life reflects a sparsely populated plains county, with community institutions centered on schools, local government, and seasonal agricultural activities.

Golden Valley County is a sparsely populated county in southwestern North Dakota, part of the state’s Badlands region near the Montana border. The county seat is Beach; for local government information, visit the Golden Valley County official website.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s data portal (data.census.gov), Golden Valley County’s total population is reported in county-level tables and profiles derived from the Decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS). A single definitive “current” population figure varies by product (e.g., 2020 Decennial Census vs. ACS 5-year estimates), and the most appropriate figure depends on the specific reference year and dataset.

Age & Gender

Age distribution (e.g., under 18, 18–64, 65+) and sex breakdown (male/female shares) are published by the U.S. Census Bureau in ACS county tables (commonly from the ACS 5-year series) and in Decennial Census profiles for baseline years. The most recent county-level age and sex distributions for Golden Valley County are available through U.S. Census Bureau tables on data.census.gov (search the county name and select “Age and Sex” tables/profiles).

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Race categories (e.g., White, Black or African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, Some Other Race, Two or More Races) and Hispanic or Latino origin are reported for Golden Valley County in Decennial Census and ACS county products. These county-level race and Hispanic-origin distributions are available via U.S. Census Bureau demographic profile tables on data.census.gov (county geography selection required to avoid statewide totals).

Household Data

Household characteristics typically reported at the county level include:

• Number of households, average household size, and family vs. nonfamily households
• Household type (e.g., married-couple households, single-householder households)
• Presence of children and older adults

These measures are published in the ACS 5-year county tables and profiles for Golden Valley County and can be accessed through U.S. Census Bureau ACS household tables on data.census.gov.

Housing Data

County housing indicators commonly available from the U.S. Census Bureau include:

• Total housing units
• Occupancy status (occupied vs. vacant)
• Tenure (owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied)
• Selected housing characteristics (e.g., year structure built, housing value, gross rent)

Golden Valley County’s housing-unit counts and tenure/occupancy distributions are available through U.S. Census Bureau housing tables on data.census.gov.

Notes on Data Availability

Exact county-level values for all requested measures are available from the U.S. Census Bureau, but the figures differ by reference year and dataset (Decennial Census vs. ACS 5-year). This profile identifies the authoritative sources; the specific numeric values require selecting Golden Valley County, North Dakota and a specific table/profile and year on data.census.gov.

Golden Valley County is sparsely populated and largely rural, so longer distances between households and limited last‑mile infrastructure shape how residents access email and other online services.

Direct county-level email usage rates are not published; broadband and device access serve as proxies for likely email adoption. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (data.census.gov) via the American Community Survey, key digital access indicators include the share of households with a broadband internet subscription and the share with a computer (desktop/laptop/tablet). Lower subscription or computer access generally constrains regular email use, particularly for tasks requiring attachments and account verification.

Age structure also influences adoption: counties with a larger older-adult share typically show lower rates of routine digital communication and higher reliance on in‑person or phone contact. Golden Valley County’s age distribution can be reviewed in ACS demographic tables.

Gender distribution is not a primary driver of email access at the county scale; differences are usually smaller than those associated with age, income, and connectivity.

Infrastructure limitations are reflected in availability and performance measures published by the FCC National Broadband Map, including areas with limited fixed broadband options.

Golden Valley County is a sparsely populated, largely rural county in southwestern North Dakota, with small communities and extensive agricultural/rangeland areas. The county’s low population density and long distances between settlements are major determinants of mobile connectivity outcomes, because cellular coverage quality and capacity are strongly influenced by tower spacing, backhaul availability, and terrain/vegetation. Baseline geography and population context are available via the U.S. Census and county resources such as Census.gov QuickFacts for Golden Valley County and the State of North Dakota portal.

Key distinction: network availability vs. household adoption

Network availability refers to whether mobile providers report coverage and what technologies (4G LTE, 5G) are deployed in an area. Primary public sources include the FCC National Broadband Map and FCC mobile coverage datasets.

Household adoption (actual use) refers to whether residents subscribe to mobile service, rely on smartphones for internet access, or have cellular data plans. Publicly available adoption indicators are commonly reported at the state level and, for some measures, at sub-state geographies through surveys and modeled estimates; however, county-specific smartphone ownership and mobile-only internet adoption are often not published as direct measures for small rural counties. Where Golden Valley County–specific figures are unavailable, this overview identifies the closest authoritative sources and notes limitations.

Mobile penetration / access indicators (where available)

Household connectivity and device access (county-level limitations)

• The most consistently available county-level indicators in federal datasets relate to broadband subscriptions and computer ownership, not always separating mobile vs. fixed service in a way that produces stable estimates for small counties.
• The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) provides technology access variables (computer type and internet subscription categories) that can be explored via data.census.gov. In many rural counties, published margins of error can be large, and some mobile-specific breakdowns may be limited or suppressed for reliability.
• For the most general county profile (population, housing, age distribution) that contextualizes likely adoption patterns, see Census.gov QuickFacts (Golden Valley County, ND).

State-level mobile access context (used when county-level is not available)

• The NTIA Internet Use Survey Data Explorer provides state-level measures of internet use and device types (including smartphone use for internet access). This is useful for North Dakota context but does not constitute Golden Valley County–specific adoption.

Data limitation statement: Public sources commonly provide Golden Valley County demographics and some internet subscription indicators, but direct county-level “mobile penetration” (e.g., percentage of residents with a mobile subscription, smartphone ownership rate, or mobile-only household share) is not consistently available as a stable published statistic from federal dashboards due to sampling and reporting constraints in low-population counties.

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

FCC-reported mobile broadband coverage (availability)

• The most authoritative, regularly updated public reference for mobile broadband availability is the FCC National Broadband Map, which allows:
  • Viewing reported mobile broadband coverage by provider
  • Filtering by technology generation and speed tiers (as reported)
  • Reviewing coverage at fine geographic resolution (hexagons) rather than only at county boundaries
• The FCC map reflects provider-reported availability and should be interpreted as availability claims rather than direct measures of performance experienced at a specific address or along specific road segments.

4G LTE

• In rural North Dakota counties, 4G LTE is typically the most widely available mobile broadband layer in terms of geographic footprint.
• LTE coverage presence does not imply uniform performance; rural LTE can vary substantially depending on tower density and backhaul. The FCC map provides the best public starting point for determining where LTE is reported within Golden Valley County.

5G (including low-band vs. mid-band/mmWave distinctions)

• 5G availability in rural counties is often uneven and tends to concentrate along highways and around population centers.
• The FCC map supports 5G visualization by provider; however, county-level summaries can mask localized gaps. Provider-reported 5G also varies by spectrum layer:
  • Low-band 5G can cover larger areas but may deliver performance closer to LTE in some deployments.
  • Mid-band 5G usually requires denser infrastructure than low-band and is commonly less extensive in very rural areas.
  • mmWave 5G is typically limited to dense urban hotspots and is generally not characteristic of rural county-wide coverage.
• Golden Valley County–specific 5G footprint should be assessed directly in the FCC map view rather than inferred from state-level generalizations.

Performance and service quality indicators (availability vs. experienced service)

• The FCC map is an availability dataset. For additional context on broadband data collection and limitations, FCC documentation and methodology materials linked within the map interface are the primary reference points (accessible from the FCC National Broadband Map).

Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)

County-specific device-type shares (limitations)

• Direct county-level estimates of smartphone ownership, feature phone prevalence, or tablet-only access are not consistently available as official published measures for a small county.
• ACS provides measures of computer type (desktop/laptop/tablet) and internet subscription type in many tables accessible via data.census.gov, but it does not always yield a clean county-level smartphone ownership measure comparable to national polling (and small-area reliability can be an issue).

State-level device-use context

• The NTIA Internet Use Survey Data Explorer reports device categories used to access the internet (including smartphones) at the state level, which provides a contextual baseline for North Dakota.
• National-level benchmarking on smartphone adoption is often published by survey organizations, but those results are not county-specific and are not a substitute for Golden Valley County device-type distributions.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage (county context)

Rurality, distance, and population density

• Golden Valley County’s rural character and low population density (see Census.gov QuickFacts) influence both:
  • Network availability: fewer towers per square mile and longer backhaul routes can reduce coverage consistency and capacity.
  • Adoption patterns: fewer retail/service locations and fewer provider options can affect plan selection and device upgrade cycles, though county-specific adoption impacts are not directly quantified in public datasets.

Transportation corridors and settlement patterns

• Coverage in rural counties frequently tracks major roads and small towns more strongly than remote farmland or rangeland. The FCC map provides the most direct public visualization of these spatial patterns within Golden Valley County (FCC National Broadband Map).

Age structure and household characteristics

• Age distribution and household composition can correlate with smartphone uptake and mobile-only internet reliance. County demographic profiles are available via Census.gov QuickFacts. Public sources do not consistently publish Golden Valley County smartphone ownership rates by age group, so demographic influence is best documented as contextual rather than quantified at the county level.

Authoritative sources for Golden Valley County mobile connectivity

• Network availability (reported coverage): FCC National Broadband Map
• County demographics and baseline context: Census.gov QuickFacts and data.census.gov
• State broadband planning and mapping context (programmatic, not a county adoption measure): North Dakota Broadband (state broadband office)
• State-level internet use and device context: NTIA Internet Use Survey Data Explorer

Summary of what is known vs. not available at county granularity

• Known with authoritative county-level context: population and rural characteristics (Census); provider-reported mobile coverage patterns (FCC map at fine spatial resolution).
• Partially available (often with reliability constraints): some technology access and internet subscription categories via ACS tables on data.census.gov.
• Not consistently available as definitive county-level statistics: smartphone ownership rate, feature phone prevalence, mobile-only household share, and detailed 4G/5G usage behavior metrics specific to Golden Valley County.

Golden Valley County is a sparsely populated rural county in southwestern North Dakota, with Beach as the county seat, an economy oriented around agriculture and energy, and long travel distances between services. These characteristics generally align with higher reliance on mobile connectivity and community-oriented online groups, alongside lower in-person media market reach than in North Dakota’s larger population centers.

User statistics (penetration / active use)

• County-level social media penetration: No major national survey publishes statistically reliable, county-specific social media penetration estimates for very small counties such as Golden Valley County. Publicly available benchmarks are therefore best represented with statewide and rural U.S. survey results.
• Rural U.S. benchmark: National survey data show rural adults use major social platforms at lower rates than urban/suburban adults, with the gap varying by platform. This pattern is documented in Pew Research Center’s Social Media Fact Sheet and related Pew analyses.
• North Dakota context: North Dakota’s rural population share is high relative to many states, so statewide usage patterns tend to resemble rural benchmarks more than large-metro benchmarks, with younger adults driving most platform activity.

Age group trends (highest-use groups)

Pew’s U.S. survey results consistently show the following age-related pattern (Pew Research Center social media usage by age):

• Highest overall use: 18–29 (highest penetration across most major platforms).
• Next highest: 30–49, generally strong on Facebook and YouTube and comparatively higher on Instagram than older groups.
• Lower use: 50–64, with Facebook and YouTube most common; Instagram/Snapchat use drops substantially.
• Lowest use: 65+, with markedly lower use beyond Facebook and YouTube. County implication: In a county with older median age and outmigration of younger cohorts typical of rural areas, the share of residents who are heavy social media users is commonly concentrated in the 18–49 segment, while Facebook/YouTube remain the broadest-reach platforms across ages.

Gender breakdown

Pew reports modest but consistent gender differences by platform (Pew platform-by-platform demographics):

• Women tend to report higher use of Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
• Men tend to report higher use of YouTube and some discussion-oriented platforms.
• Overall: Differences are platform-specific rather than indicating a uniform gender gap in “any social media” use.

Most-used platforms (with percentages where available)

The most reliable percentages available for Golden Valley County are national U.S. adult shares (Pew), commonly used as a proxy benchmark for small rural counties where direct measurement is unavailable:

• YouTube: ~83% of U.S. adults
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• X (formerly Twitter): ~22%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• WhatsApp: ~29%
  Source: Pew Research Center, Social Media Fact Sheet (latest updates vary by platform and field dates).

County implication: In rural North Dakota counties, Facebook and YouTube typically provide the broadest local reach (community updates, news sharing, how-to content, and local marketplace activity), while TikTok/Snapchat/Instagram skew younger and are less universal across the adult population.

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns / preferences)

Patterns supported by national research and commonly observed in rural markets:

• Facebook as a local information hub: Rural communities often rely on Facebook for community announcements, local event sharing, school and sports updates, and buy/sell activity, reflecting Facebook’s broad age coverage and group features (consistent with Facebook’s high penetration in Pew’s platform data: Pew platform usage).
• YouTube for utility viewing: High YouTube penetration aligns with how-to, repair, agriculture/energy-related informational viewing, weather/news clips, and entertainment, with usage less tied to social graph density than other platforms (Pew: YouTube usage among U.S. adults).
• Age-driven platform split: Younger residents over-index on short-form video and messaging-forward platforms (TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram), while older residents concentrate on Facebook; this is reflected in Pew’s age distributions by platform (Pew age-by-platform tables).
• Engagement style: Smaller communities frequently show higher engagement per post within local networks (comments/shares in groups) despite fewer total users, because content relevance is local and social ties are overlapping (family, school, church, civic organizations).

Golden Valley County, North Dakota, maintains limited “family” records at the county level. Marriage licenses are commonly handled through the Clerk of District Court and recorded documents may appear in the county recorder’s land records. Birth and death certificates are maintained centrally by the state through the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Vital Records, rather than by the county. Adoption records are generally sealed and are administered through state courts and state vital records processes.

Public databases relevant to family and associate research primarily include recorded-document indexes and court case information. The county recorder’s office provides access to recorded property and related instruments through the county’s public-facing portal: Golden Valley County Recorder and Golden Valley County (official site). North Dakota courts provide online case search for many case types statewide via: North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry.

Access occurs online through the cited portals and in person at the Golden Valley County offices for recorded documents and local administrative records. Certified vital records (birth/death) are requested from the state: ND HHS Vital Records.

Privacy restrictions apply to vital records (with eligibility rules and waiting periods) and to adoption files (typically confidential). Some court and recorded-document information may be public, with redactions for protected personal identifiers.

Types of records available

• Marriage licenses and marriage records

  • Marriage licenses are issued at the county level and create the primary county record of the intent/authorization to marry.
  • A completed return/certificate (recording that the marriage was solemnized) is typically filed back with the issuing office and becomes part of the county’s permanent marriage record.

• Divorce decrees (divorce judgments)

  • Divorces are handled through the state district court; the final decree/judgment and associated case filings become part of the court’s civil case record.

• Annulments

  • Annulments are also handled through the state district court and maintained as civil court case records, similar to divorces.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

• Marriage records (Golden Valley County)

  • Filed/maintained by: Golden Valley County Recorder’s Office (marriage licenses and recorded marriage documents).
  • Access: Requests are made through the County Recorder. Access practices vary by office for in-person, mail, and other request methods, and records are generally retrieved by names and date of marriage/license issuance.
  • Reference: Golden Valley County Recorder (county office listing) https://www.goldenvalleycountynd.gov/

• Divorce and annulment court records (Golden Valley County venue)

  • Filed/maintained by: North Dakota District Court serving Golden Valley County (Southwest Judicial District) and the clerk of court/district court administration for that district.
  • Access: Many docket-level entries and some documents are available through the North Dakota Courts electronic records system; full documents may require a court request and are subject to sealing/redaction rules.
  • References:
    • North Dakota Courts (public access / records search) https://www.ndcourts.gov/
    • Southwest Judicial District information https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/southwest-judicial-district

• State-level vital records (verification/certified copies)

  • Filed/maintained by: North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Vital Records (state repository for vital records and official certified copies, subject to eligibility rules).
  • Access: Certified copies/verification are handled under state vital-records procedures and identity/eligibility requirements.
  • Reference: ND HHS Vital Records https://www.hhs.nd.gov/vital

Typical information included in these records

• Marriage license / marriage record

  • Full names of parties
  • Date and place of marriage (and/or date license issued and date returned/recorded)
  • Ages or dates of birth (varies by form/era)
  • Residences at time of application (often city/county/state)
  • Names of officiant and witnesses (commonly included)
  • License number, filing/recording details, and signatures/attestations

• Divorce decree/judgment

  • Names of parties, case number, and court/county venue
  • Date of filing and date of judgment/decree
  • Legal findings and orders dissolving the marriage
  • Terms addressing property/debt distribution
  • Provisions regarding spousal support, child custody/parenting time, and child support (when applicable)
  • Any name-change orders (when included in the judgment)

• Annulment judgment

  • Names of parties, case number, and court venue
  • Legal basis for annulment and findings
  • Orders addressing status of the marriage, and related relief (property, support, and child-related orders when applicable)

Privacy or legal restrictions

• Marriage records

  • Marriage licenses and recorded marriage documents are generally treated as public county records, though access to certified copies and the format of release may be controlled by record-custodian procedures and identification requirements.
  • Some personally identifying details may be limited in copies provided to the public depending on state law, office policy, and redaction practices.

• Divorce and annulment records

  • Court case dockets are generally public, but specific documents or information can be restricted by law or court order.
  • Sealed or confidential materials (for example, certain child-related information, protected addresses, and documents ordered sealed) are not publicly accessible.
  • North Dakota courts apply privacy protections through redaction rules and restricted-access designations for particular information in case records, which can limit what appears in public terminals/online systems and in copies released.

Golden Valley County is a sparsely populated, rural county in southwestern North Dakota along the Montana border, with its county seat at Beach. The community context is dominated by small-town services, surrounding ranching and dryland farming areas, and energy-sector activity in the broader region; residents commonly travel to larger trade centers in Stark and Billings counties for some jobs, healthcare, and retail. (Population levels and some county-specific “latest year” indicators vary by source release cycle; the most consistently comparable county figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.)

Education Indicators

Public schools (count and names)

Golden Valley County is primarily served by the Beach Public School District (Beach, ND). The district’s main schools commonly listed for the community include:

• Beach High School
• Beach Elementary School
  School counts and exact building configurations can change with consolidation and grade reconfiguration; the most reliable current directory reference is the state’s district/school listings via the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) on its public school information pages and accountability reporting (district and school profiles). For statewide education reporting and district context, see the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

• Student–teacher ratio: County-specific ratios are typically reported at the district level rather than the county level. For Beach’s current staffing and enrollment ratios, the most defensible source is the district profile and staffing/enrollment files published by NDDPI (ratio values can shift year to year in small districts because small changes in enrollment materially change ratios).
• Graduation rate: Public high school graduation rates are reported by NDDPI (4-year cohort graduation rate) for each district/school. Countywide graduation rates are not always published as a standalone indicator because districts can cross county lines and cohort sizes may be small.

Because Golden Valley County’s public-school system is essentially a single small district, district-level values are the closest proxy for “county” student–teacher ratios and graduation rates. The most current graduation rate and accountability indicators are maintained in NDDPI’s annual reporting and district profiles (see NDDPI link above).

Adult education levels (HS diploma; bachelor’s degree and higher)

Adult educational attainment for Golden Valley County is consistently available through the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS (population age 25+). The most commonly cited measures are:

• High school diploma or higher (25+): reported by ACS for the county.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher (25+): reported by ACS for the county.

The authoritative county table is available through the Census Bureau’s data portal for ACS educational attainment (table series typically used include S1501). See U.S. Census Bureau data (ACS educational attainment tables). (Exact percentages depend on the latest 5-year ACS release.)

Notable programs (STEM, CTE/vocational, AP)

In rural North Dakota districts, “notable program” offerings are frequently structured around:

• Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways (often including agriculture mechanics, business/technology, and trades-aligned coursework) supported through statewide CTE frameworks.
• Dual credit partnerships and regional career-center participation (where available) rather than a wide slate of standalone local programs.
• Advanced Placement (AP) availability varies in very small high schools; dual-credit courses are often more common than multiple AP sections.

Program specifics are district-controlled and best verified through district course catalogs and NDDPI CTE reporting. For statewide CTE program context, see North Dakota Career & Technical Education.

School safety measures and counseling resources

North Dakota public schools generally operate within statewide requirements and guidance for:

• School safety planning (building safety procedures, drills, and coordination with local emergency services).
• Student support services delivered through school counselors and, in smaller districts, shared service models (part-time counselors, regional special education units, or contracted providers).

District- and school-specific staffing (including counselor FTE) is typically documented in NDDPI staffing reports and district profiles; countywide “counselor-to-student” ratios are not usually published as a single county statistic. Baseline policy context is maintained by NDDPI (see NDDPI link above).

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent)

The most frequently cited “official” unemployment rates come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program (monthly and annual averages by county). Golden Valley County’s unemployment rate is available as:

• Annual average unemployment rate (county) and monthly rates, published by BLS LAUS.

For the latest county unemployment values, use the BLS LAUS county series via BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics. (The annual average for the most recent completed year is typically the most stable reference; monthly values can be volatile in small counties.)

Major industries and employment sectors

Golden Valley County’s employment base reflects rural southwestern North Dakota patterns:

• Agriculture (crop and livestock) tied to surrounding rural land use.
• Government and education (county/city services and the local school district).
• Health and social services and retail trade concentrated in Beach and nearby service hubs.
• Construction, transportation, and energy-related services influenced by regional oil and gas activity corridors, even when extraction occurs outside the county.

Sector distributions are available through ACS “industry by occupation” and “class of worker” tables for county residents (workforce by residence). See ACS employment by industry and class-of-worker tables.

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

Occupational structure in similarly rural North Dakota counties typically includes:

• Management, business, and administrative support
• Sales and office
• Service occupations (healthcare support, protective service, food service)
• Construction, extraction, and maintenance
• Transportation and material moving
• Farming, fishing, and forestry (often small share by resident occupation but locally significant)

County occupation distributions for residents are provided by ACS “occupation” tables (workforce by residence). See ACS occupation tables.

Commuting patterns and mean commute times

Golden Valley County residents commonly commute within the county seat area (Beach) and also out of county for specialized jobs and services. Key commuting indicators are available via ACS:

• Mean travel time to work (minutes)
• Share driving alone vs. carpooling vs. working from home
• Share commuting outside the county of residence (available through ACS county-to-county commuting and “place of work” indicators, though some detail is limited in small-population counties)

The most consistent “mean commute time” measure is the ACS estimate for county residents. See ACS commuting (travel time to work) tables.

Local employment vs. out-of-county work

In small rural counties, a meaningful portion of workers are employed outside the county due to limited local job diversity. A standard, authoritative measure of local vs. out-of-county work is provided through:

• ACS place-of-work indicators (workers working in-county vs. out-of-county, where publishable)
• LEHD/OnTheMap (residence-area vs. workplace-area commuting flows), which can quantify in-commuters and out-commuters where data suppression does not limit detail

For commuting flow context, see Census OnTheMap (LEHD commuting flows). (Small-area suppression may limit some detailed breakdowns.)

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership rate and rental share

Golden Valley County’s tenure profile (owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied) is available via ACS:

• Homeownership rate: share of occupied housing units that are owner-occupied
• Rental share: share renter-occupied

These measures are published in ACS housing tenure tables. See ACS housing tenure tables.

Median property values and recent trends

• Median value of owner-occupied housing units: Available via ACS for the county (most commonly referenced as a 5-year estimate due to small population).
• Recent trends: In very small counties, year-to-year changes can reflect limited sales volume rather than broad market shifts; ACS multi-year estimates are a proxy for market direction and should be interpreted as smoothed estimates rather than transaction-based medians.

For the county’s ACS median home value, use ACS median home value tables. Transaction-based measures (repeat-sales indexes) are often unavailable or unstable for counties with low sales volume.

Typical rent prices

• Median gross rent: Available via ACS for the county and is the most standardized “typical rent” metric (includes contract rent plus utilities where applicable).

See ACS median gross rent tables. (Small-sample effects can be substantial in low-population counties.)

Types of housing

The county’s housing stock is characteristically:

• Single-family detached homes concentrated in Beach and scattered rural residences.
• Manufactured housing (mobile homes) present in rural and small-town settings.
• Low-density multifamily (small apartment buildings) in the county seat area, with limited large apartment complexes.
• Rural lots and farmstead housing outside city limits.

Unit-type distributions (single-family vs. multifamily vs. mobile homes) are available via ACS “structure type” tables. See ACS housing structure type tables.

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools/amenities)

• Beach functions as the primary node for schools, local government, basic retail, and community services; housing within Beach generally has the shortest proximity to the public school campus and civic amenities.
• Outside Beach, residential patterns are dispersed and rural, with longer travel distances for school, groceries, and healthcare, contributing to automobile dependence for most households.

Property tax overview (rate and typical cost)

• Effective property tax rates and typical homeowner tax bills are most directly documented through the North Dakota property tax system (county auditor/treasurer) and statewide summaries.
• Statewide context and property tax administration are described by the North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner. County-level effective rates and average bills are not consistently published in a single standardized annual series comparable across all counties, and household “typical cost” varies with taxable value, local levies, and credits.

A reasonable proxy for “typical homeowner property tax cost” is the combination of ACS owner costs (which include taxes) and local levy information, but this is a proxy rather than a direct tax-bill median.

Data note (availability and proxies): For Golden Valley County, the most recent, consistently comparable county measures for educational attainment, commuting, tenure, home value, and rent are generally from the ACS 5-year estimates, while unemployment is best sourced from BLS LAUS. District-level school staffing ratios, graduation rates, safety planning, and counseling resources are best sourced from NDDPI district/school profiles and annual accountability and staffing reports rather than county aggregates.