The 2000 census revealed that residents made more money at the end of the 1990s than a decade earlier. Statewide median earnings were $18,550, meaning half the state's wage earners made more and half made less when gender was not considered But the census showed that median earnings for women in North Dakota were $14,273, compared with $23,714 for men. "The fact that women are more likely than men to work part-time because of family commitments creates a drag on their median earnings," said Richard Rathge, director of the State Data Center. Rathge added that lower pay for comparable jobs is also a factor, but that gap is narrowing.
—Rosie Cataldo
