Get paid to care for family in McKenzie County
Most of the 1,550 people in McKenzie County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. North Dakota Medicaid can pay you for that work.
McKenzie County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 1,550
- Aged 85+
- 161
- Rank in ND
- 19th
- Median age
- 31.8
11% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 53 counties, by residents 65+
younger than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). McKenzie County is a rural county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 7).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in McKenzie
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 1,550 people in McKenzie County are 65 or older — 11% of everyone who lives here. McKenzie County skews younger than North Dakota overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 161 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. In a rural county, an agency aide may be a long drive away — when one is available at all. That is exactly why the state lets you be the paid caregiver instead.
Statewide, 137,800 people in North Dakota are 65 or older — 17% of the state, across 53 counties.
What North Dakota pays family caregivers
$27.92/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: North Dakota Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
North Dakota's programs at a glance
- HCBS Waiver — Family Personal Care
- Qualified Service Provider (QSP)
- Family Paid Caregiver Pilot (children)
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Yes
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full North Dakota guide →
Towns and cities in McKenzie County
North Dakota sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Watford City and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in McKenzie County:
- Watford City6,207
- Alexander317
- Arnegard289
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in McKenzie apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in McKenzie County start with North Dakota's program:
Apply for the HCBS waiver online or through your local Human Service Zone office; the pilot is applied for through the Family Paid Caregiver Portal (familycaregiver.hhs.nd.gov).
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which North Dakota program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →McKenzie questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in McKenzie County?
Yes. North Dakota runs real Medicaid programs — like HCBS Waiver — Family Personal Care — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in McKenzie County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in McKenzie County?
Reported figures in North Dakota are around $27.92/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in McKenzie County apply?
Families in McKenzie County start with the state, not the county. Apply for the HCBS waiver online or through your local Human Service Zone office; the pilot is applied for through the Family Paid Caregiver Portal (familycaregiver.hhs.nd.gov).
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in McKenzie County?
Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for North Dakota: yes — HCBS waiver Family Personal Care pays a spouse, adult child, or adult grandchild who lives with the participant; spouses and legal guardians are excluded from MSP-PC; pilot also covers spouses as LRIs
How many people in McKenzie County might need this?
1,550 residents of McKenzie County are 65 or older and about 161 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. North Dakota's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in McKenzie do you cover?
All of McKenzie County — including Watford City, Alexander and Arnegard. Eligibility is set by North Dakota, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from North Dakota's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in McKenzie County
Start with the North Dakota caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to McKenzie
The counties McKenzie touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water. Ones marked with a state abbreviation are across the line, and their rules are their state's, not this one's.
Find out in 2 minutes
Answer 5 easy questions. See your programs and pay before you share any contact info.