Nelson County, ND
Get paid to care for your family member in Nelson County, North Dakota
About 862 people in Nelson County are 65 or older — 29% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than North Dakota overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 98 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.
Who needs care in Nelson
- People 65 and older
- 862
- People 85 and older
- 98
- Median age
- 48.0
- Rank in North Dakota
- 31st
29% of Nelson residents
the age daily help usually starts
older than the country as a whole
of 53 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Nelson County is one of the most rural counties in the country (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 8). North Dakota as a whole is 17% aged 65 or older.
What North Dakota pays family caregivers
$21.76/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 Nelson County
North Dakota sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Lakota and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Nelson County:
- Lakota687
- McVille387
- Michigan City260
- Aneta235
- Petersburg159
- Tolna133
- Pekin75
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Nelson apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Nelson 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 →Nelson questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Nelson County?
Yes. North Dakota runs real Medicaid programs — like HCBS Waiver — Family Personal Care — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Nelson County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Nelson County?
Reported figures in North Dakota are around $21.76/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Nelson County apply?
Families in Nelson 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 Nelson 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 Nelson County might need this?
862 residents of Nelson County are 65 or older and about 98 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 Nelson do you cover?
All of Nelson County — including Lakota, McVille, Michigan City, Aneta and Petersburg. 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.
More North Dakota counties
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