Lignite is a city in Burke County,

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...

, 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.

Geography

Lignite is located at (48.876908, -102.562603). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 155 people, 76 households, and 44 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 96 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 2.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, and 0.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 4.5% of the population. There were 76 households, of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 3.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.1% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.66. The median age in the city was 49.4 years. 18.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.8% were from 25 to 44; 38% were from 45 to 64; and 18.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.3% male and 47.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 174 people, 85 households, and 57 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 111 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 100.00%

. There were 85 households, out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.48. In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.2% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 19.5% from 25 to 44, 37.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $20,833, and the median income for a family was $33,750. Males had a median income of $37,917 versus $11,607 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $15,346. About 5.6% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 28.0% of those under the age of eighteen and 19.0% of those 65 or over.

Economy

Lignite is in the center of farming country. Historically there has been some oil activity in the area, but it is a bit north of the current "Bakken" boom. In 2010, a London-based resources company announced it had gotten the first potash drilling permit in three decades from the state of North Dakota.

Sirius Minerals Sirius Minerals plc was a fertilizer development company based in the United Kingdom. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by Anglo American in March 2020. History Founded in 2003, the company initially focused on ...

drilled an exploratory potash well near Lignite in November, 2010.

References

{{Authority control Cities in Burke County, North Dakota Cities in North Dakota Populated places established in 1907 1907 establishments in North Dakota