Prior to settlement the land of Carter County was occupied by the Sioux tribe.

[4] Medicine Rocks State Park is located 14 miles north of Ekalaka.

92.5% of the population graduated high school, with 20.2% obtaining a bachelor's degree or higher.

[11] As of the 2010 census, there were 1,160 people, 532 households, and 354 families living in the county.

There were 810 housing units at an average density of 0.2 per square mile (0.077/km2).

In terms of ancestry, 41.5% were German, 19.6% were English, 18.8% were Norwegian, 12.3% were Irish, and 4.3% were American.