Hill County, Montana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hill 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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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 76% of counties in Montana
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hill County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,155 | 1,116,812 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5.5 | 7.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.29% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.6 | 40.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,206 | 458,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hill County declined by 1.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,155 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hill County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.5% of residents. That is 1.0 points above Montana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,638 22.5% +1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,099 19.2% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,988 18.5% -1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,570 15.9% -3.5 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 49.7% of the people living in Hill County and men 50.3%.
- Women 49.7% Montana 49.4%
- Men 50.3% Montana 50.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hill County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hill County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Hill County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,773 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.24% | 5.17% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hill County is about 24% lower than in Montana.
Housing
| Metric | Hill County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $179,054 | $249,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $775 | $1,081 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.1% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hill County is about 19.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $775 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hill County spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 101 hours, about 4.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hill County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.1 | 16.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 24.2 | 32.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 101 | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,121 | $4,143 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.1% | 12.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,099 | 2,162 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 95 | 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 Hill County is 12 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
Hill County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Hill County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.6% | 31.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 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
Hill County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Hill County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.9 | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.4% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hill County, Montana.
How many people live in Hill County, Montana?
About 16,155 people live in Hill County, Montana, in 6,206 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 33.6, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Hill County, Montana?
Averaged over its land area, Hill County, Montana has 6 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 6% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Hill County, Montana?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($179,054 against $54,773), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $775 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Hill County, Montana?
21.6% of adults in Hill County, Montana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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