White ShieldND
A town of 246.
Is White Shield a good place to live?
White Shield’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile, where North Dakota’s towns sit at 0.7 and U.S. towns at 0.4. White Shield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
246 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to White Shield: who provides what
White Shield is unincorporated, so McLean County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 White Shield.
White Shield has a very low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from cold waves
Of the losses FEMA expects in White Shield, 44% come from cold waves and 18% from inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The schools White Shield’s kids attend
Public schools: the White Shield 85 school district. Of its 3 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. 3 public schools serve White Shield, with 345 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Shield Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 117 | D− |
| White Shield SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 171 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
A larger share of residents in White Shield live below the poverty line than in the typical North Dakota or U.S. town
The top destinations are Parshall (5%), Bismarck (5%) and Dickinson (2%). White Shield: 10% of working residents work locally. Jobs based in White Shield grew to 67 in 2023, 42 more than in 2013. The average commute for White Shield comes to 20 minutes, against 16 minutes in North Dakota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns.
| White Shield | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 29% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 39% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
White Shield has snowy winters and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 43 inches of snow, with January nights at 3° and July afternoons at 82°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
More children than North Dakota overall
In White Shield, 23% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Children under 18 are 29% of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 29% of residents (35% statewide). Also worth knowing: for White Shield, the midpoint age is 33.2 years.
| White Shield | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.2 years | 33.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 30% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.3 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| White Shield | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.2% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.7% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.6% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.7% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.1% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.4% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.7% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.4% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.7% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 20.6% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.9% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.3% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
How healthy White Shield is
For adults in White Shield, the share who sleep under 7 hours is 40%. CDC measures, 32 in all: White Shield beats North Dakota on 3 and trails on 9. Two figures for adults here: 43% have obesity, 21% binge drink. Only one of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare has a higher share of adults who worry about having enough food than White Shield.
| White Shield | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 29% | 33% |
| What stands out | White Shield | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.7% | 8.2% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.9% | 5.9% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11.5% | 6.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about White Shield
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of White Shield; the nearest are
About 7 of every 100 White Shield residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Dakota.
90% of working residents leave White Shield for work
Where White Shield’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About White Shield
CDP in North Dakota, United States
White Shield (Arikara: nahtasuutaaká, Hidatsa: maanaagi iixodagish) is a census-designated place (CDP) lying within the boundaries of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. It is located on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in McLean County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 363 as of the 2020 census, and was estimated at 268 in 2025. It is considered the primary community of the Arikara (Sahnish) people and is named for Chief White Shield.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,001 ft
- Area code
- 701
Questions about White Shield
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is White Shield, ND a good place to live?
White Shield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.