Des LacsND
A town of 182, settled in 1888.
Is Des Lacs a good place to live?
Des Lacs’ median age is 58.5 years, above both the North Dakota town median (33.9 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Des Lacs. Des Lacs’ trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile, where North Dakota’s towns sit at 0.7 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Des Lacs has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
182 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Des Lacs: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Des Lacs, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Jul 30, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Des Lacs.
Des Lacs faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 79% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The schools Des Lacs’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the United 7 school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Lacs-Burlington High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 294 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Des Lacs’ workers commute out
Most working residents leave Des Lacs for work: only 0% work in town. 1.2% of residents live below the poverty line in Des Lacs. Only 2 of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Des Lacs.
| Des Lacs | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 1.2% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Des Lacs
Des Lacs has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. The July high in Des Lacs is 81°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Des Lacs than in most of North Dakota or the rest of the country
38% of Des Lacs adults have high blood pressure. No town among the 24 in North Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Des Lacs. 19% of Des Lacs adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Des Lacs | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 29% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 16% |
| What stands out | Des Lacs | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.4% | 10.7% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 4.6% | 6.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Des Lacs
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Des Lacs
About 2 of every 100 Des Lacs residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
100% of working residents leave Des Lacs for work
Where Des Lacs’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Des Lacs
City in North Dakota, United States
Des Lacs is a city in Ward County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 185 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Minot Metropolitan Statistical Area. Des Lacs was founded in 1888, named after the Riviere de Lacs (now Des Lacs River), from the French for "River [of] The Lakes."
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1888
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,932 ft
- ZIP code
- 58733
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Des Lacs
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Des Lacs, ND a good place to live?
Des Lacs has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.