Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Today 131 people live in this town, first settled in 1894.
Lignite’s average trip to work is 11 minutes, below both the North Dakota town median (16 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only one of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare has a lower July high than Lignite. Lignite has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 214 in 1920, a peak of 355 in 1960, 141 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1949 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lignite, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Lignite.
FEMA puts 51% of Lignite’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 24% to inland flooding. On expected storm and flood damage, Lignite sits below 88% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its two schools are below. The 2 public schools in Lignite teach 95 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burke Central Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 52 | B− |
| Burke Central High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 43 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Its January low comes in at -2°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (25% statewide); children under 18 are 31% of residents (24% statewide). Since 2020, Lignite has lost 3.7% of its people, to 131 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. The town’s age of the median resident comes in at 39.1 years. Four-year graduates: 27% of adults 25 and older here, 33% across North Dakota.
| Lignite | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.1 years | 33.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 30% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.2 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Lignite | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 28.1% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 2.4% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.4% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.8% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.4% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.4% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.9% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.9% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 1.7% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 100, single groups can be off by several points
Lignite: 13% of adults report frequent physical distress. Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Lignite. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Lignite is ahead of North Dakota on 6 and behind on 5.
| Lignite | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 29% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 16% |
| What stands out | Lignite | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.1% | 10.8% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.5% | 5.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Lignite; the nearest are
About 10 of every 100 Lignite residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
City in North Dakota, United States
Lignite is a city in Burke County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 141 at the 2020 census. Lignite was founded in 1907 and was named for the quantities of lignite, a low-grade coal, present in the area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lignite has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.