McKenzie County economy navigates a year of shifting tides
M.K. French
Farmer Staff Writer
The McKenzie County economy is proving its legendary grit, weathering a year of fluctuating oil markets and a government shutdown to emerge with record-shattering growth in its residential and educational sectors. A look at the latest figures from the McKenzie County Economic Development’s December ‘25 “Economy at a Glance,” coupled with previous years’ reports, paints a dynamic picture of a community that is rapidly maturing.
One of the most striking changes of 2025 happened in county classrooms and nurseries: K-12 fall public school enrollment in McKenzie County skyrocketed to 3,054 students, an impressive 10 percent increase from the 2,775 enrolled just one year prior. This continues a massive upward trajectory from 2021, when enrollment stood at 2,310. Complementing this educational boom is a rise in local births. McKenzie County recorded 263 births in 2024, up from 247 in 2023. This demographic momentum suggests that, despite economic shifts, families are increasingly choosing to call the Bakken region home.
While local economic activity remains visible in real life, a lack of official data from the national level has left us with some missing puzzle pieces: unemployment and labor force data for late 2025 are currently unavailable due to the government shutdown. However, the job market remains active but lean, with 172 online job openings in October 2025, down from 232 the previous year.
The lifeblood of the county, the oil industry, faced a cooling period in terms of market value. Oil prices saw a notable decline: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil averaged $60.89 per barrel in October 2025, a notable drop from $71.99 in October 2024 and a sharp decline from the $85.64 seen in October 2023. McKenzie County oil production remained resilient at 10,653,592 barrels in October 2025, fairly steady compared to the 10,502,161 barrels produced in the same month of 2024. Oil extraction and transport employment dipped slightly to 3,395 in 2024, down from 3,425 in 2023.
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