Pondera County, Montana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Pondera 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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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Pondera County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,035 | 1,116,812 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3.7 | 7.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.27% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.4 | 40.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,268 | 458,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Pondera County grew by 2.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 6,035 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Pondera County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 20.6% of residents. That is 1.2 points above Montana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,108 18.4% -3.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,090 18.1% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,202 19.9% +0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,242 20.6% +1.2 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 50.3% of the people living in Pondera County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Montana 49.4%
- Men 49.7% Montana 50.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Pondera County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Pondera County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Pondera County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,022 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.31% | 5.17% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Pondera County is about 25% lower than in Montana.
Housing
| Metric | Pondera County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $118,339 | $249,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $784 | $1,081 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.7% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Pondera County is about 12.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $784 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Pondera 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 100 hours, about 4.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Pondera County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.0 | 16.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 24.1 | 32.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 100 | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,107 | $4,143 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.6% | 12.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 735 | 2,162 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 97 | 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 Pondera 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
Pondera County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Pondera County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.8% | 31.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.57 | 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
Pondera County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Pondera County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.7 | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.7% | 14.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.2% | 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).
Pondera County, MT Compared With Nearby Counties
How Pondera County, MT compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pondera County, MT | 6,035 | $54,022 #2/2 | $118,339 #2/2 | 12.0 min #1/2 |
| Lewis and Clark County, MT | 73,430 | $79,279 | $310,934 | 16.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Pondera County, Montana.
What is the population of Pondera County, Montana?
About 6,035 people live in Pondera County, Montana, in 2,268 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 42.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Pondera County, Montana?
Averaged over its land area, Pondera County, Montana has 4 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 4% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Pondera County, Montana an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($118,339 against $54,022), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $784 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 Pondera County, Montana?
19.8% of adults in Pondera 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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