Groundwork

County profile · North Dakota

Foster County, ND market data

Population, household spending and competition for 56 business types in Foster County, each scored against other counties.

Population, 2025
3,212
−5.1% since 2020
Households
1,531
Median household income
$87,831
Median home value
$167,500
Jobs located here
1,448
Market scores
Not scored
Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in Foster County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of Foster County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

An estimated 3,212 people live in Foster County, in 1,531 households. Population estimates show Foster County declined 5.1% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median household income in Foster County is $87,831 a year, 9% above the U.S. median of $80,734.

Set against the U.S., households in Foster County spend the most on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 129, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on child care and other personal services (81).

Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

For its number of households, Foster County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for medical and dental practices (8% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for restaurants and cafes (5% below the U.S. rate).

All 56 business types in Foster County

Counties under 10,000 people aren’t given a market score, since a few businesses can swing their figures. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.

Every business type in Foster County, ND, listings, listings per 10,000 households, spending per listing and official establishments
Business typeListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingSpending per listing vs. U.S. (100)Official establishments
Restaurants and cafes16104.5$396K1075
Doctors, dentists and clinics1491.4$162K106Under 3
Auto repair and car care852.3$237K88Under 3
Grocery and convenience stores852.3$1.2M35Under 3
Salons, barbers and spas745.7$228K107Under 3
Sit-down restaurants745.7$905K136Under 3
Auto repair shops532.7$379K85Under 3
Gas stations532.7$943K40Under 3
Hair salons532.7$319K74Under 3
Insurance agencies532.7$566K458
Clothing, shoes and laundry319.6$1.1M120Under 3
Convenience stores319.6$3.2M40Under 3
Dentists and orthodontists319.6$756K77Under 3
Home repair trades319.6$1.4M597
HVAC and plumbing319.6$1.4M303
Optometrists and eye care319.6$756K24Under 3
Child care and preschools213.1$361KToo few5
Coffee shops and cafes213.1$3.2MToo fewUnder 3
Grocery stores213.1$4.8MToo fewUnder 3
Laundromats213.1$1.6MToo fewUnder 3
Spas and skin care213.1$797KToo fewUnder 3
Tire shops213.1$948KToo fewUnder 3
Clothing and shoe stores16.5$3.2MToo fewUnder 3
Fast food and sandwich shops16.5$6.3MToo few3
Funeral homes16.5$295KToo fewUnder 3
Gyms16.5$1.5MToo fewUnder 3
Gyms, studios and classes16.5$1.5MToo fewUnder 3
Pet businesses16.5$1.4MToo fewUnder 3
Physical therapy16.5$2.3MToo fewUnder 3
Pizza16.5$6.3MToo few3
Bakeries and dessert shops00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Barbershops00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Car washes and detailing00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Chiropractors00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Collision repair and body shops00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Dry cleaners00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Electricians00.0None listedNone listed4
Home inspectors00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
House cleaning00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Landscaping and lawn care00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Lawn, cleaning and pest control00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Martial arts and dance studios00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Mortgage brokers and lenders00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Nail salons00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Oil change and quick lube00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pest control00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pet grooming and boarding00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Pet stores00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Primary care and pediatrics00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Property management00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Real estate00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Real estate agents and brokers00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Roofing and gutters00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Urgent care and walk-in clinics00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Veterinarians00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3
Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios00.0None listedNone listedUnder 3

Household spending in Foster County

What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).

Annual household spending in Foster County, ND by line, per household, and against the U.S.
Spending lineA year, all householdsPer householdIndex vs. U.S. (100)
Vehicle maintenance and repairs$1.9M$1,238129
Gasoline and other fuels$4.7M$3,080119
Food away from home$6.3M$4,137102
Groceries$9.5M$6,22599
Personal care products and services$1.6M$1,042104
Child care and other personal services$723K$47281
Memberships, classes and admissions$1.5M$1,008103
Medical and dental services$2.3M$1,481115
Pets$1.4M$90099
Clothing, shoes and related services$3.2M$2,078101
Vehicle insurance$2.8M$1,84994
Home repairs, maintenance and insurance$4.3M$2,80793
Lawn care, cleaning and other household services$2M$1,28291
Rent and homeowner costs$22.3M$14,58888

Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.

Population and households in Foster County

Population, 2025 estimate
3,212−5.1% since 2020
Households
1,531
Median age
45.7
Homes lived in by their owners
80%
Vehicles per household
2.1
Land area
634 sq. mi.
People per square mile
5
Median household income
$87,831
Average household income
$103,534
Median home value
$167,500
Jobs located here
1,448
Daytime population
3,247Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here

Looking at a specific site in Foster County?

These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.

Or open the report at the center of Foster County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Questions

How fast is Foster County, ND growing?

Population estimates put Foster County at 3,212 people in 2025, down 5.1% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 1,531 households.

How much do households in Foster County, ND spend?

Households in Foster County spend about $22.3M a year on rent and homeowner costs, $9.5M on groceries and $6.3M on food away from home. Relative to the U.S., household spending in Foster County runs highest on vehicle maintenance and repairs (an index of 129, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on child care and other personal services (81).

Which business types have the highest market scores in Foster County, ND?

The score leaves out counties under 10,000 people, where a handful of businesses would swing it.

How does Foster County, ND compare with the U.S.?

Median household income in Foster County is $87,831, 9% above the U.S. median of $80,734. The population fell 5.1% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $167,500, against $332,700 for the U.S. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for medical and dental practices (8% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for restaurants and cafes (5% below the U.S. rate).

What is the Groundwork market score?

The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Markets with fewer than 5 map listings of the type, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored, since a few businesses can swing their figures.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Foster County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.

All markets in North Dakota · Every U.S. market · How we measure

Screening a site or an acquisition in Foster County?

A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.

The button opens the report at the center of Foster County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.