Musselshell County, Montana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Musselshell 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 averageLess healthy than 73% of counties in Montana
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 82% of counties in Montana
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 84% of counties in Montana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Musselshell County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,152 | 1,116,812 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2.8 | 7.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.95% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 50.9 | 40.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,148 | 458,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Musselshell County grew by 16.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,152 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Musselshell County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 26.9% of residents. That is 7.5 points above Montana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 806 15.7% -5.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 790 15.3% -5.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,222 23.7% +4.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,385 26.9% +7.5 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 49.6% of the people living in Musselshell County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Montana 49.4%
- Men 50.4% Montana 50.6%
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100% of everyone living in Musselshell County
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Economy
Musselshell County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Musselshell County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,855 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.42% | 5.17% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.2% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Musselshell County is about 19% lower than in Montana.
Housing
| Metric | Musselshell County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $450,000 | $249,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,137 | $1,081 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 85.1% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Musselshell County is about 33.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,137 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Musselshell County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 149 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Musselshell County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.9 | 16.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.7 | 32.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 149 | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,613 | $4,143 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 22.8% | 12.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,443 | 2,162 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 200 | 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 Musselshell County is 18 minutes, longer 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
Musselshell County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Musselshell County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.4% | 31.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 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
Musselshell County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Musselshell County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.3% | 14.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.7% | 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).
Musselshell County, MT Compared With Nearby Counties
How Musselshell County, MT compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Musselshell County, MT | 5,152 | $58,855 #2/2 | $450,000 #1/2 | 17.9 min #2/2 |
| Yellowstone County, MT | 168,956 | $77,024 | $232,715 | 16.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Musselshell County, Montana.
How big is Musselshell County, Montana by population?
About 5,152 people live in Musselshell County, Montana, in 2,148 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 50.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 14 years.
How densely populated is Musselshell County, Montana?
Averaged over its land area, Musselshell 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 Musselshell County, Montana?
The median home costs 7.6 times the median household income ($450,000 against $58,855), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,137 a month takes about 23% 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 Musselshell County, Montana?
Unemployment in Musselshell County, Montana is 9.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Musselshell County, Montana?
19.4% of adults in Musselshell 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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