Foreclosures in North Dakota increased in 2009 over the prior year. There was a total of 390 properties with foreclosure filings. That works out to a rate of one filing for every 796 households, which compares to the United States average of 45, and is about one seventh of one percent of the state's housing units.
North Dakota is the 48th largest U.S. state by population, with 646,844 people (in 2008). Its 70,762 square miles make it the 19th largest state by area. Median household income in 2008 was $45,685.
Most of North Dakota's economic activity is based on agriculture. Eight percent of North Dakotans work on farms, which is a larger proportion than some more famous farming states including Iowa and Indiana. North Dakota is the country's largest producer of barley, sunflower seeds, several types of wheat, and farm-raised turkeys. The state also boasts coal mines, oil and natural gas, and stands to benefit from the next generation of green energy development. That's because it is believed that the state's wind energy might eventually power up to 25 percent of America's energy needs.