Deer Lodge County, Montana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Deer Lodge 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.
-
B
Health Around averageLess healthy than 85% of counties in Montana
-
D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 87% of counties in Montana
-
D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 80% of counties in Montana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Deer Lodge County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,595 | 1,116,812 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 12.9 | 7.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.56% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.8 | 40.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,472 | 458,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Deer Lodge County grew by 8.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 9,595 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Deer Lodge County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.1% of residents. That is 4.7 points above Montana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,727 18.0% -3.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,807 18.8% -1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,313 24.1% +4.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,306 24.0% +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 47.0% of the people living in Deer Lodge County and men 53.0%.
- Women 47.0% Montana 49.4%
- Men 53.0% Montana 50.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Deer Lodge County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Deer Lodge County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Deer Lodge County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,559 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.76% | 5.17% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Deer Lodge County is about 22% lower than in Montana.
Housing
| Metric | Deer Lodge County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $168,750 | $249,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $695 | $1,081 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.0% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Deer Lodge County is about 20.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $695 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Deer Lodge County spend about 30 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 126 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Deer Lodge County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.1 | 16.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.3 | 32.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 126 | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,909 | $4,143 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.1% | 12.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,158 | 2,162 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 350 | 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 Deer Lodge County is 15 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
Deer Lodge County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Deer Lodge County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.2% | 31.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 1.96 | 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
Deer Lodge County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Deer Lodge County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.5 | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.0% | 14.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.8% | 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).
Deer Lodge County, MT Compared With Nearby Counties
How Deer Lodge County, MT compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Lodge County, MT | 9,595 | $56,559 #2/2 | $168,750 #1/2 | 15.1 min #2/2 |
| Silver Bow County, MT | 35,793 | $61,292 | $165,062 | 13.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Deer Lodge County, Montana.
How big is Deer Lodge County, Montana by population?
About 9,595 people live in Deer Lodge County, Montana, in 4,472 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 48.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
How densely populated is Deer Lodge County, Montana?
Averaged over its land area, Deer Lodge County, Montana has 13 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 15% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Deer Lodge County, Montana?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($168,750 against $56,559), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $695 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Deer Lodge County, Montana?
Unemployment in Deer Lodge County, Montana is only 3.4%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Deer Lodge County, Montana have a college degree?
18.2% of adults in Deer Lodge County, Montana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →