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Get paid to care for family in Pierce County

Most of the 942 people in Pierce County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. North Dakota Medicaid can pay you for that work.

Pierce County at a glance

Aged 65+
942

24% of residents

Aged 85+
116

when daily help usually starts

Rank in ND
30th

of 53 counties, by residents 65+

Median age
44.1

older than the country

A farmhouse set back from a gravel road, typical of Pierce County

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Pierce County is one of the most rural counties in the country (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 9).

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 Pierce

What being a paid caregiver looks like here

About 942 people in Pierce County are 65 or older — 24% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than North Dakota overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 116 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Out here, hiring an outside agency often is not realistic at all. Being paid to do the care yourself is not a workaround — it is how these programs were designed to work.

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

Rates vary — check with the program.

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 Pierce County

North Dakota sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Rugby and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Pierce County:

  • Rugby2,422
  • Balta63
  • Wolford41

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.

How families in Pierce apply

You do not need a county office to start. Families in Pierce 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 →

Pierce questions, answered honestly

Can I get paid to care for a family member in Pierce County?

Yes. North Dakota runs real Medicaid programs — like HCBS Waiver — Family Personal Care — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Pierce County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.

How much do family caregivers earn in Pierce 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 Pierce County apply?

Families in Pierce 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 Pierce 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 Pierce County might need this?

942 residents of Pierce County are 65 or older and about 116 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 Pierce do you cover?

All of Pierce County — including Rugby, Balta and Wolford. 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.

Nearby

Counties next to Pierce

The counties Pierce touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.

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