Balta is a city in Pierce County,

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

, United States. The population was 66 at the 2020 census. Balta was founded in 1912, and is known for its duck hunting. Old Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Wrought-Iron Cross Site, in or near Balta, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

History

Originally, the town was named Egan, in honor of Egan Pierce, an official with the Soo Line railroad. It was renamed by the locals after the city Balta in the Russian Empire (current

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

), the original home of many immigrant settlers.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (which warns that "there is no generally accepted definition of a geographic center"), the center of the continent of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

is six miles west of Balta, at a latitude of 48°10' and a longitude of 100°10'. As Balta is so small, nearby Rugby calls itself the center of the continent.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 65 people, 30 households, and 17 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 47 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 100.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

. There were 30 households, of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.3% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.71. The median age in the city was 44.8 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20% were from 25 to 44; 32.3% were from 45 to 64; and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 58.5% male and 41.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 73 people, 38 households, and 21 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 49 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.63%

, and 1.37% Asian. There were 38 households, out of which 15.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were

living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.7% were non-families. 39.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.57. In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.8% under the age of 18, 1.4% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 32.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 121.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $22,813, and the median income for a family was $24,688. Males had a median income of $14,375 versus $15,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $10,645. There were 8.7% of families and 7.1% of the population living 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 ...

, including no under eighteens and 14.3% of those over 64.

Education

It is within Rugby Public Schools, which operates Rugby High School.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Balta has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Balta, North Dakota
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References

External links

Balta :the garden city of the prairies, North Dakota (1987)
from th
Digital Horizons website
{{Authority control Cities in North Dakota Cities in Pierce County, North Dakota Populated places established in 1912 1912 establishments in North Dakota