Census counts: 432 in 1910, a peak of 1,345 in 1980, 864 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and a map from 1982 on.

1898Wishek is settled

Explore the history →

Getting set up

Moving to Wishek: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Wishek, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerMontana-Dakota Utilities11.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterCity of Wishek water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Wishek’s trash rules yet

SchoolsWishek Public School District 19Which school depends on your addressNCES

Who runs elections hereMcIntosh County AuditorMcIntosh County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019

ZIP code5849558495 100%Census 2020

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 Wishek.

Who lives here

Wishek stands out in North Dakota and nationally: a larger share of its residents are 65 or older

For adults 25 and older in Wishek, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 23%. No town among the 24 in North Dakota we compare has a higher median age than Wishek, though nearly a fifth of residents are under 18 here, against 26% in North Dakota’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Wishek at 827 residents, down 3.8% since 2020.

48.6median age · ND 35.9

	Wishek	North Dakota towns	U.S. towns
Aged 65 or older	33%	13%	18%
Median age	48.6 years	33.9 years	40.5 years
Under 18	19%	26%	22%
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+	23%	30%	29%

WishekNorth DakotaUnited States

NDU.S.

Ages · share of residents

25%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma14%

High school32%

Some college13%

Associate’s18%

Bachelor’s21%

Graduate2%

Women and men · all residents

54% women, 46% men

About 87 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.6 points). Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.

Ages and education in Wishek
	Wishek	ND	U.S.
Under 10	7.1%	13%	11.6%
10 to 17	11.5%	10.5%	10.3%
18 to 24	3.1%	11.1%	9.1%
25 to 34	5.1%	14.2%	13.7%
35 to 44	19.7%	13.2%	13.2%
45 to 54	7.9%	10.1%	12.2%
55 to 64	12.7%	11.4%	12.7%
65 to 74	8.5%	9.6%	10.2%
75 and older	24.5%	7%	7%
No diploma	13.7%	6%	10.4%
High school	32%	25.5%	26%
Some college	13.2%	21.8%	19.1%
Associate’s	17.9%	14%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	21.4%	23%	21.6%
Graduate	1.8%	9.7%	14.1%

Full pageWishek by the numbersOpen the page

Ages48.6 median age · 33% are 65 or older Schooling23% have a four-year degree Homes80% own their home · Homeowners Income$70K a year · Median household income

Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points

Schools

The schools Wishek’s kids attend

The Wishek 19 school district runs its public schools. Its two schools are below. Public school enrollment here: 247 students across 2 schools.

School	Level	Students	Letter
Wishek Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6	Grades PK–6	150	B⁻
Wishek High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12	Grades 7–12	97	C

Full pageWishek’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsWISHEK 19 Every school2 schools · Wishek Elementary School Questions“Are Wishek’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Climate

The climate in Wishek brings snowy winters and pleasant summers

Expect July afternoons of 81° and January nights of 2°, with about 42 inches of snow a winter.

42″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter5–24°

Spring29–52°

Summer54–79°

Fall32–55°

Sep 27

typical first frost

May 13

typical last frost

+0.9°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageWishek’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 81°, January lows 2°Rain & snow42″ of snow a winter · 21 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+0.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commute

With 1.3 jobs for every working resident, Wishek draws in 303 commuters

The top destinations are Ashley (20%), Bismarck (6%) and Fargo (3%). In Wishek, about one in three working residents works in town. The average commute for Wishek comes to 10 minutes, below both the North Dakota town median (16 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Employers in Wishek added 22 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 401.

32%work in town

	Wishek	North Dakota towns	U.S. towns
Average trip to work	10 minutes	16 minutes	25 minutes
Working residents who work in town	32%	39%	8%
Below the poverty line	13%	9.8%	9.6%
Median household income	$70,000	$73,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Wishek32%

Ashley20%

Bismarck6%

Fargo3%

Grand Forks2%

17 mi

median commute distance

401

jobs based in Wishek

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageWishek’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here401 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work32% work in Wishek Commute times10 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 17 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Safety

Crime reported in Wishek

In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.

Wishek is small, so we show counts rather than rates.

violent crimes reported in 2024

property crimes reported in 2024

Full pageWishek’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type1 violent crime · Reported in 2024 Crime over the yearsReported crime since 2023 Questions“Is Wishek, ND safe?”

FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police

Health

Fewer of Wishek’s adults binge drink than in the typical North Dakota or U.S. town

In Wishek, 44% of adults have high blood pressure. Among 24 North Dakota towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Wishek. CDC measures, 32 in all: Wishek beats North Dakota on 4 and trails on 12.

	Wishek	North Dakota towns	U.S. towns
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)	44%	31%	35%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)	15%	22%	16%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	15%	8.9%	12%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	16%	11%	14%

32 measures vs. North Dakota

4 better16 too close to call12 worse

What stands out	Wishek	ND
Fewer binge drinkers	14.5%	21.3%
More adults treating high blood pressure	85.1%	76.3%
More adults with heart disease	11.5%	6.1%

South Central Health

0.1 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

Full pageWishek’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore adults who get no exercise Hospitals & doctors nearby0.1 miles to an ER · South Central Health How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than ND on 4 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Natural hazards

Wishek faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves

Federal disaster aid has reached households in Wishek once, in 2009. Compared with just over half of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher. Expected losses in Wishek break down as 70% from cold waves and 13% from inland flooding.

51risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Cold wavesInland floodingHail

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageWishek’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesModerate risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters1 federal disaster · Paid out in Wishek Get ready16 events a year, on average · Ready for cold waves

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Wishek

18pages on Wishek

The big questions

Schools2 schools Safety1.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthBetter than ND on 4 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingWork & commute$70K median household income · 401 jobs here Natural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 51% of U.S. communities · cold waves

Out and about

PlacesLibrary6.4 library visits per resident Colleges

The story

HistorySettled 1898 Famous people1 born in Wishek Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 55 residents Climate81° summer highs · 42″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 58495 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Wishek; the nearest are

Trinity Bible College and Graduate SchoolUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ellendale52.7 mi$19,700 tuition Sitting Bull CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Fort Yates54.9 mi$4,010 in-state tuition

About 2 of every 100 Wishek residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

Small town

827 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Lehr · 10 mi Red Lake Township · 12 mi Ashley · 18 mi Venturia · 18 mi Napoleon · 20 mi Haag Township · 22 mi

About Wishek

City in North Dakota, United States

Official town website ↗

Wishek ( WISH-ik) is a city in McIntosh County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 864 as of the 2020 census, and was estimated at 827 in 2025.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1898
Area: 1.5 sq mi
Elevation: 2,034 ft
ZIP code: 58495
Area code: 701

Questions about Wishek

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Wishek, ND a good place to live?

Wishek has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

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Wishek has shrunk 17% since 2010

128 years in pictures