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Cass County, ND · Google Ads Management
Win New Residents With Google Ads Management in Cass County
Cass County is growing faster than 91% of counties. We build and run Google Ads campaigns for Cass County businesses for one flat monthly fee, with no contract to sign. On this page, public data shows the field you would be bidding in.
Market at a glance
Cass County's Ad Competition Index Score and What Sits Behind It
Ad Competition Index
74.4/ 100
Ranked 169 of 1,822 counties with 20,000+ residents and also 63 of the 400 markets we cover. The higher the score, the more local businesses are competing for the same searches. How we calculate it
We rate every U.S. county-equivalent with 20,000 or more residents on how many ad-heavy local businesses (like lawyers, dentists, contractors, agents and similar) compete for the same customers. Cass County scores 74.4, which is more crowded than most.
What defines Cass County is not the score alone. It is one of the faster-growing counties in the country, and it is a county with an unusually high share of bigger (20+ employee) businesses in ad-heavy categories. The eight measures that follow place it among every other county.
- Population change since the 2020 Census +6.4% Faster growth than 91% of counties
- Typical household income (2023 est.) $75,477 Higher than 72% of counties
- Ad-heavy business locations per 10,000 people 47.8 More crowded than 85% of counties
- Change in those businesses, 2017 to 2022 +8.4% Quicker growth than 62% of counties
- Portion with 20+ employees 7.6% Higher share than 93% of counties
- New homes permitted per 10,000 residents (2025) 59.4 Busier building than 79% of counties
- New-home permits this year vs. same months last year -29.3% Softer than 84% of counties
- Share of residents in unincorporated areas 4% Slimmer share than 99% of counties
The bars place Cass County against all 1,822 U.S. counties with 20,000 or more residents. Data from: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates, County Business Patterns (2017 and 2022), Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates and the Building Permits Survey.
What shapes the market
Why New Residents Make Cass County Worth Advertising To
Growth is the story in Cass County. The county has added 6.4% to its population since the 2020 Census, a faster pace than 91% of comparable counties, bringing it to 196,362 residents. People who just moved do not have a go-to local business yet, which makes the first search the moment that matters.
The biggest places in Cass County are Fargo (133,188), West Fargo (40,400), Horace (5,643), Casselton (2,472) and Mapleton (1,435). We can aim by city, by ZIP code or by a radius around your location, so you are not paying for clicks from the far side of the county.
Communities
Cass County by Place: Where the Customers Are
These are the largest places in Cass County by resident count. We can target any of these places, or ZIP codes and a radius around where you work.
| Community | Population (2023 estimate) | Slice of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Fargo | 133,188 | 68% |
| West Fargo | 40,400 | 21% |
| Horace | 5,643 | 3% |
| Casselton | 2,472 | 1% |
| Mapleton | 1,435 | 1% |
| Kindred | 1,024 | 1% |
Data: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates. The list covers cities, towns and census-designated places; where a city runs into a neighboring county, only the part inside Cass County is counted.
Where demand is heading
Cass County Housing Permits Since 2022: Down From the High, Still Slowing This Year
Housing units authorized by building permits. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey (county annual files, and the year-to-date bars compare the same months each year). Permits are authorizations, not completed homes.
Cass County authorized 2,058 housing units in 2022 and 1,166 in 2025, about 43% fewer; 2025 still works out to 59.4 units per 10,000 residents, more than in 79% of counties. From January through August, 670 units have been permitted, compared with 948 a year earlier (−29.3%).
In Cass County, the construction-linked categories already busiest are real estate agents and brokers (3.0x typical) and insurance agencies and brokerages (1.9x typical). When new households are your market, treat permits as an early signal: when permits turn, searches tend to turn after them, and your budget and schedule should move with both.
Your competition
Cass County Competition by Category: Where It Is Crowded and Where It Is Not
For each category we divide employer locations by population and compare the result with the median county. A 2.0x reading means double the locations per resident of a typical county.
Business typeLocationsDensity vs. a typical countyShift, 2017 to 2022Larger locations (20+ staff)
Real estate agents and brokersBusiest 147 +30.1% 0
Insurance agencies and brokerages 137 -4.9% 4
Roofing contractors 20 +25% 3
Electrical contractors 75 +7.1% 10
Dentists 90 +9.8% 6
Accounting and CPA firms 37 -5.1% 0
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractorsLargest operators 95 +14.5% 18
Residential remodelers 80 +17.6% 3
Law offices 74 +0% 6
Landscaping services 79 +1.3% 6
General automotive repairQuickest growth 56 +30.2% 0
Physicians offices 48 -12.7% 15
Crowding = employer locations per 10,000 residents divided by the median U.S. county of 20,000+ residents (1.0x is typical; the dark tick marks it). Counts are establishments from County Business Patterns (2017, 2022), not a count of active advertisers. Method
In Cass County, the real estate agents and brokers category is the most crowded, with 147 locations at 3.0 times the typical density; the count is up 30.1% since 2017. Insurance agencies and brokerages (137 locations, 1.9x) and electrical contractors (75 locations, 1.7x) also sit above a normal county.
General automotive repair grew fastest, up 30.2% since 2017 to 56 locations. Insurance agencies and brokerages went the other way, down 4.9% to 137 locations. The biggest operators sit in plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors: 18 of 95 locations have 20 or more employees.
Keep in mind that these are counts of businesses, not ad costs. Click costs come out of an auction that cares about much more than how many rivals there are, which is why we build around your keywords, offer and landing page rather than the headcount alone.
Comparable counties
Six Counties That Resemble Cass County
Of our 400 markets, six resemble Cass County most closely on population, income, growth, building activity and local ad competition.
| Place | Index | Population | Population change since 2020 | Ad-business change since 2017 | Permits per 10k, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County, ND (this page) | 74.4 | 196,362 | +6.4% | +8.4% | 59.4 |
| Minnehaha County, SD | 65.5 | 206,930 | +4.9% | +15.7% | 99.1 |
| Weber County, UT | 70.6 | 271,926 | +3.7% | +17.1% | 57.8 |
| Washington County, AR | 64.5 | 261,549 | +6.4% | +14.8% | 100.2 |
| Benton County, WA | 61.8 | 215,219 | +4% | +11.9% | 77.3 |
| Lancaster County, NE | 76 | 326,716 | +1.3% | +5.6% | 71.7 |
| Kootenai County, ID | 87.2 | 185,010 | +8% | +38.7% | 93.1 |
The six look-alikes are the counties in our 400-market set that sit closest to this one on size, income, growth, construction and ad-business density. Sources are listed above.
Minnehaha County, SD is the closest match, scoring 65.5 against Cass County's 74.4. Kootenai County, ID is the furthest from it, scoring 87.2. Washington County, AR builds far more per resident (100.2 against 59.4 permits per 10,000 residents) despite similar overall competition. Already advertising in one of these places? The comparison shows how similar the competition is; it does not predict your results.
Check the math
A Break-Even Calculator for Cass County Advertisers
Each business has a different break-even. Enter what a new customer is worth to you and how often a lead becomes one, and the calculator shows the most you can pay per lead, how many customers cover your monthly cost, and how that compares with the cost per lead you expect.
Beyond Google Search
Google Ads, Facebook and Instagram Ads, and Bing Ads: One Plan
Meta Ads: Facebook & Instagram
Campaigns on Facebook and Instagram, managed in Meta's ad platform, that reach Cass County residents before they start searching.
Bing Ads
A second search audience on Bing, Microsoft Edge and Microsoft's partner network, for people who do not start on Google.
PPC and paid ads, whatever you call them
Paid ads, PPC, pay-per-click, Google Ads, Facebook ads, Instagram ads: it is one service, you pay per click, and we run it for Cass County businesses on a flat plan.
Most clients start with Google Ads, where intent is highest, and add Facebook and Instagram or Bing once the first campaign is working. One account manager runs all of them.
Our process
How We Run Google Ads for Cass County Businesses
Get the basics right
We build your campaign from a strong base: conversion-ready landing pages, keywords, ads, ad extensions and tracking for calls, forms and sales.
Go live and listen
Once ads are running, we review the account on a steady schedule, filtering out irrelevant searches with negative keywords, tightening bids and steering toward better leads.
Scale what works
We lean into the ad groups that are working and try wider keywords to lift your call volume.
Keep getting better
We keep refining the account and reduce your monthly management fee as your account grows, to increase your return.
Plans
What Google Ads Management Costs in Cass County
A single monthly management fee, no contracts, based on how many platforms you want us to run. Ad spend is billed by the platform, separate from our fee. Over $10K a month in ad budget? Let's talk.
Common questions
Cass County Google Ads Management: Your Questions Answered
What does it cost to have someone manage Google Ads for my Cass County business?
We charge a flat monthly management fee based on how many platforms we run: $895 for one, $1,595 for two, $2,295 for three. You sign nothing long-term, and the ad budget goes straight to the platform.
How much should I spend on ads in Cass County?
Start from your own economics rather than a rule of thumb: the calculator above takes your profit per new customer and close rate and returns the most you can pay per lead. In Cass County, real estate agents and brokers (3.0x) and insurance agencies and brokerages (1.9x) are denser than a typical county, so if you are in one of those categories plan for a busier auction. Before launch we size the budget with you, then scale as results arrive.
Is Cass County a competitive market for Google Ads?
More than most. Cass County scores 74.4 on our Ad Competition Index, ranking 169th of 1,822 counties with 20,000+ residents and 63rd of the 400 markets we cover. Real estate agents and brokers leads on density, at 3.0 times the typical county. That does not make ads a bad idea; it raises the stakes on targeting and landing pages.
What kinds of local businesses advertise most in Cass County?
Across the twelve ad-heavy categories we track, the largest by employer locations in Cass County are real estate agents and brokers (147), insurance agencies and brokerages (137) and plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors (95). Measured against a typical county, the most crowded are real estate agents and brokers (3.0x) and insurance agencies and brokerages (1.9x). A large or crowded category does not settle whether ads will work for you; it shows how many other businesses may be bidding on the same searches.
How soon will I get calls from Google Ads in Cass County?
Timing varies. Some accounts hear the phone ring on day one, and others need two to four weeks of tuning, more so in busy categories like real estate agents and brokers. We check the searches that triggered your ads early and exclude those that do not suit your business.
Is Cass County growing, and does that matter for Google Ads?
Cass County has 196,362 residents, +6.4% since the 2020 Census, and 1,166 housing units were permitted in 2025 (59.4 per 10,000 residents). Growth at that pace keeps adding people who have not picked a provider yet. Whichever way it goes, ads reach the people who are searching today, so we keep an eye on these trends when we set budgets.
Can you target only the parts of Cass County I serve?
Yes. We can target by city (Fargo, West Fargo, Horace, Casselton and others), by ZIP code or by a radius around your location.
Do you handle Facebook, Instagram and Bing ads as well as Google?
Yes, we do. Beyond Google Ads, we manage Bing ads and Meta ads, which run on Facebook and Instagram. Google tends to be the first platform since searchers are ready to act; Bing adds a second search audience, and Facebook and Instagram reach people before they search. Pricing follows the platform count: $895, $1,595 or $2,295 a month.
Am I locked into a contract, and how do I see results?
You can cancel anytime, because there is no contract. One dedicated account manager runs your account, and each month you see the calls, forms and sales it produced.
Close by
Counties Near Cass County
Do your customers live outside Cass County? These counties are the closest, measured from center to center:
- Clay County, MN: roughly 36 miles out, 66,258 residents, index score 48.7
- Traill County, ND: roughly 36 miles out, 7,908 people, Ad Competition Index 48.4
- Ransom County, ND: roughly 38 miles away, 5,603 residents, competition index 63
- Barnes County, ND: around 39 miles out, 10,726 people, competition index 51.3
- Steele County, ND: about 42 miles away, 1,782 people, competition index 0
- Norman County, MN: about 46 miles from here, 6,329 people, index score 32.8
Sources and method
How We Built This Cass County Page
Every figure on this page comes from public U.S. Census Bureau data, calculated the same manner across every county, which lets you compare Cass County with any other market. We never use client account data and we publish no campaign performance numbers, because each business is different.
- Data refreshedOctober 16, 2026
- DataPopulation Estimates (2023), County Business Patterns (2017, 2022), Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (2023), Building Permits Survey (2021 to 2026 year to date), Gazetteer files.
- How it worksThe Ad Competition Index and every other figure here are defined on the method page. Compare all markets in the index.
- CorrectionsSee something wrong? Email hello@getphound.com and we will verify it against the original data.
Get in Touch
Let's Talk About Google Ads for Your Cass County Business
Let us know what you sell and where in Cass County you want customers. We will walk through a plan that fits your budget. To book a strategy session with our CEO, call 610-825-4363 or email hello@getphound.com.