Fort YatesND
A town of 167, settled in 1903.
Is Fort Yates a good place to live?
23% of residents live below the poverty line in Fort Yates, above both North Dakota’s towns (9.8%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher July high than Fort Yates. Fort Yates has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
167 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Fort Yates: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fort Yates, 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 Fort Yates.
Fort Yates faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Fort Yates
Fort Yates has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Fort Yates’ January low is 2°F, near the North Dakota town median (2°F) and below the median of U.S. towns (22°F).
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
More middle-aged adults than North Dakota overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 43% of residents (35% statewide); people 65 and older are 11% of residents (17% statewide). Fort Yates has lost 6.2% of its people since 2020, down to 167 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 35% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across North Dakota.
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 24% and 66% women
The Census survey reached too few of Fort Yates’ residents to say more: its margin here is ±20.9 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Fort Yates | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.7% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 17.8% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 23.4% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 0% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.5% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 29% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.5% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 0.9% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.4% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 5.2% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.9% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 31% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.5% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Fort Yates stands out in North Dakota and nationally, with more of its adults who say their health is fair or poor
42% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Fort Yates. Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Fort Yates. 25% of adults report frequent physical distress in Fort Yates.
| Fort Yates | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 16% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 54% | 37% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 8.9% | 12% |
| What stands out | Fort Yates | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 16.1% | 21.3% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.4% | 8.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 26% | 5.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Fort Yates
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Fort Yates
About 11 of every 100 Fort Yates residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
About Fort Yates
City in Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, United States
Fort Yates is a city in Sioux County, North Dakota, United States. It is the tribal headquarters of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and county seat of Sioux County. Since 1970 the population has declined markedly from more than 1,100 residents, as people have left for other locations for work. The population was 176 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1903
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,634 ft
- ZIP code
- 58538
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Fort Yates
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Fort Yates, ND a good place to live?
Fort Yates has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.