Blaine County, Montana Income Statistics
Blaine County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Blaine County Well below averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in Montana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Blaine County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $66,770 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $51,585 | $54,706 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 7.8% | 5.2% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 7.1% | 10.8% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 6.8% | 9.0% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Blaine County is about 8% lower than in Montana. Income has been growing faster in Blaine County (7.8%/yr) than in Montana (5.2%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Blaine County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Montana average of 11%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Blaine County, Montana grew by 78.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $66,770 in 2024. That's an average of about 7.8% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Blaine County
| Metric | Blaine County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.575 | 0.523 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $58,855 | $64,583 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $52,445 | $50,364 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 10.9% | 22.0% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Blaine County, it is 0.575, higher than Montana's 0.523, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 12% more than women's income in Blaine County, Montana. Over a 35-year career, a 12% wage gap accumulates to roughly $224,350 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Blaine County, Montana has narrowed from about 16% to 11% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 23% in 2021, and was narrowest at 9% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $839 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Blaine County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 13.6% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 16.6% | 12.5% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 11 | 16 | 22 |
Approximately 439 people are unemployed in Blaine County, Montana.
The average commute time in Blaine County is 11 minutes, shorter than the 16 minutes in Montana.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Blaine County, Montana has risen from 6.8% to 13.6% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 16.8% in 2017.
Blaine County, MT Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Blaine County, MT is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 6,948 residents against a local median of 5,905. The measure that sets Blaine County, MT apart most is unemployment: 13.6%, more than 4 times the local median of 3.2%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 7.8%/yr against a local median of 5.0%/yr, 55% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Blaine County, MT is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within 3.2% of each other on unemployment, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Blaine County, MT, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Blaine County, MT has the 6th lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blaine County, MT | 6,948 | $66,770 #1/6 | 7.8%/yr #1/6 | 13.6% #6/6 | 0.575 #6/6 |
| Phillips County, MT | 4,221 | $54,198 | 4.7%/yr | 1.8% | 0.540 |
| Hill County, MT | 16,155 | $54,773 | 3.2%/yr | 4.2% | 0.563 |
| Fergus County, MT | 11,687 | $63,883 | 5.0%/yr | 4.2% | 0.504 |
| Petroleum County, MT | 447 | $60,208 | 7.5%/yr | 1.0% | 0.456 |
| Chouteau County, MT | 5,905 | $58,858 | 5.5%/yr | 3.2% | 0.564 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Blaine County, Montana has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Montana, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Blaine County, Montana.
How Rich Is Blaine County, Montana?
Blaine County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $66,770, about 8% lower than the Montana average of $72,476.
Are incomes growing in Blaine County, Montana?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Blaine County, Montana rose 78%, from $37,439 to $66,770. Over the same years, income here outpaced Montana as a whole: +78% against +68%.
What was the median household income in Blaine County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Blaine County, Montana was $65,476, up 12% from $58,451 in 2022. The Montana median that year was $69,624.
What was the median household income in Blaine County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Blaine County, Montana was $45,371. By 2024 it had risen 47% to $66,770.
Is unemployment high in Blaine County, Montana?
Unemployment in Blaine County, Montana is 13.6%, well above the Montana rate of 3.6%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Blaine County, Montana?
The Gini coefficient in Blaine County is 0.575. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Blaine County, Montana?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Blaine County, Montana has narrowed from about 16% to 11% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 23% in 2021, and was narrowest at 9% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $839 since 2009.
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