Kief was founded in 1908 as a station along the Soo Line Railroad. The city was named by Ukrainian settlers after the city ofKiev in Ukraine. Kief was the transliteration for Kiev at the time. A post office was established in 1909 and the town was later incorporated as a village in 1916. It achieved a peak population of 307 in 1920. It became a city in 1967, after the North Dakota Legislatureenacted legislation that eliminated all existing incorporation titles for towns and villages in the state.
As of the census of 2010, there were 13 people, 8 households, and 4 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 12 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 100.0% White. There were 8 households of which 12.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.0% were married couplesliving together, 25.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 50.0% were non-families. 50.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 25% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.63 and the average family size was 2.25. The median age in the city was 55.8 years. 7.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 0.0% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 0.0% were from 25 to 44; 69.3% were from 45 to 64; and 23.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 53.8% male and 46.2% female.
As of the 2000 census, there were 13 people, 8 households, and 3 families residing in the city. The population density was 10.7 people per square mile. There were 18 housing units at an average density of 14.8 per square mile. Everyone was White. There were 8 households out of which just 2 households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 12.5% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 62.5% were non-families. 62.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 37.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.63 and the average family size was 2.67. The largest population group in the city was 25 to 44 year olds, with 38.5%. Those aged 65 and over made up 30.8% of the population followed by those under the age of 18 with 23.1%. 45 to 64 year olds made up just 7.7% of the population. The median age was 42 years. The median income for a household in the city was $6,875, and the median income for a family was $12,500. There were no year-round workers in the city, though 77.8% of the population reported earnings from Social Security income. When Social Security is excluded, 66.7% of the population reported some type of earnings. The per capita income for the city was $6,467. There were 50.0% of families living below the poverty line and 75.0% of the population. 100.0% of those over 64 were below the poverty line.
