Population:

48th largest U.S. State by population, with 646,844 people (2009 estimate).
19th largest state in the country by area, at 70,762 square miles.

Largest city: Fargo

Median income:$45,685 (2008 estimate)

Climate:
Yearly rainfall: 15.4 inches per year
Yearly snowfall: 41 inches per year in Fargo; 44 inches per year in Bismarck.
Temperatures (High/Low) in capital city of Bismarck:
January, 21/-1; July, 84.5/56.4

Foreclosures:
Foreclosure activity for 2009 increased in North Dakota over the prior year. There was a total of 390 properties with filings. That works out to a rate of one filing for every 796 households, which compares to the United States average of 45, and is about one seventh of one percent of the state’s housing units.

Those figures represent a 5 percent increase over 2008 and a 56 percent increase over 2007.

In 2008 there were about 12,400 existing homes (including condos, co-ops, and single-family homes but excluding new homes) sold in North Dakota, compared to about 14,400 sold in 2007.

Economy:
The bulk of North Dakota's economic activity and employment come from agriculture. Eight percent of North Dakotans work on farms, which is higher than many more famous farming states like Iowa and Indiana. The state is the largest producer of barley, sunflower seeds, several types of wheat, and farm-raised turkeys. North Dakota is also rich in coal mines, oil and natural gas, and stands to benefit from the next generation of green energy development—it's estimated that the state's wind energy could one day power up to a quarter of the nation's energy needs.

Noteworthy:
North Dakota has the nation's most churches per capita and highest percentage of church-goers.