New census figures show North Dakota with a population just under 700,000.
The actual number is 699,628.
"At the rate we're growing, we're likely over 700,000 right now, because this was as of July first," said North Dakota Census Committee chairman Rod Backman.
North Dakota was the fastest-growing state by percentage – up two-point-two percent from July 2011 to July 2012. Backman says he attributes the population increase to jobs.
"If you go back 10-15 years, our job growth was low, our population growth was low," said Backman. "We had a few years where we had some minus numbers."
Backman says it's not just oil.
"It's also other parts of the economy that service oil," said Backman. "Also, we have growth in technology jobs. So the job growth is pretty much statewide."
The new figures show an in-migration of almost 12,000 people in that 12 month period.
