Big Horn County, Montana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Big Horn County, MT Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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D
Health Well below averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Montana
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Montana
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 82% of counties in Montana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Big Horn County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,894 | 1,116,812 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2.6 | 7.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.31% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.8 | 40.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,828 | 458,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Big Horn County grew by 0.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 12,894 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Big Horn County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.2% of residents. That is 2.8 points above Montana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,125 24.2% +2.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,323 18.0% -2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,183 16.9% -2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,909 14.8% -4.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Montana, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.5% of the people living in Big Horn County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Montana 49.4%
- Men 49.5% Montana 50.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Big Horn County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Big Horn County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Big Horn County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,516 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.35% | 5.17% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 13.2% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Big Horn County is about 21% lower than in Montana.
Housing
| Metric | Big Horn County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $264,324 | $249,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $696 | $1,081 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.7% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Big Horn County is about 31.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $696 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Big Horn County spend about 28 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 116 hours, about 4.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Big Horn County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.9 | 16.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.7 | 32.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 116 | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,582 | $4,143 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.4% | 12.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,739 | 2,162 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 150 | 403 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Montana:
Treasure County (7.2 min), Rosebud County (8.2 min), Fallon County (8.4 min).
Slowest:
Broadwater County (30.3 min), Stillwater County (27.8 min), Granite County (23.3 min).
The average commute time in Big Horn County is 14 minutes, shorter than the 16 minutes in Montana.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Big Horn County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Big Horn County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.7% | 31.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.32 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Montana:
Gallatin County (0.4), Missoula County (0.3), Lewis and Clark County (0.3).
Lowest:
Liberty County (0.2), Toole County (0.2), Wheatland County (0.2).
Health
Big Horn County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Big Horn County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.5 | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.3% | 14.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 28.4% | 18.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Montana:
Gallatin County (0.8), Missoula County (0.8), Granite County (0.8).
Lowest:
Glacier County (0.7), Big Horn County (0.8), Roosevelt County (0.8).
Big Horn County, MT Compared With Nearby Counties
How Big Horn County, MT compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Horn County, MT | 12,894 | $57,516 #3/3 | $264,324 #2/3 | 13.9 min #2/3 |
| Sheridan County, WY | 32,052 | $72,117 | $624,999 | 12.5 min |
| Yellowstone County, MT | 168,956 | $77,024 | $232,715 | 16.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Big Horn County, Montana.
What is the population of Big Horn County, Montana?
About 12,894 people live in Big Horn County, Montana, in 3,828 households of 3.3 people on average. The median age is 33.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Big Horn County, Montana urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Big Horn County, Montana has 3 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 3% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Big Horn County, Montana?
The median home costs 4.6 times the median household income ($264,324 against $57,516), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $696 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Big Horn County, Montana?
Unemployment in Big Horn County, Montana is 13.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Big Horn County, Montana?
17.7% of adults in Big Horn County, Montana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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