Powder River County, Montana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Powder River 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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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 84% of counties in Montana
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Powder River County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,815 | 1,116,812 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 0.6 | 7.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.24% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.7 | 40.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 708 | 458,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Powder River County grew by 8.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 1,815 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Powder River County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 25.5% of residents. That is 6.1 points above Montana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 298 16.4% -5.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 291 16.0% -4.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 391 21.5% +2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 463 25.5% +6.1 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 50.0% of the people living in Powder River County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Montana 49.4%
- Men 50.0% Montana 50.6%
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100% of everyone living in Powder River County
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Economy
Powder River County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Powder River County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,480 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.86% | 5.17% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Powder River County is about 10% lower than in Montana.
Housing
| Metric | Powder River County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $225,000 | $249,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $533 | $1,081 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.8% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Powder River County is about 35.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $533 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Powder River County spend about 21 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 88 hours, about 3.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Powder River County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 10.6 | 16.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 21.2 | 32.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 88 | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,733 | $4,143 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 19.6% | 12.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,317 | 2,162 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 68 | 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 Powder River County is 11 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
Powder River County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Powder River County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.1% | 31.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.48 | 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
Powder River County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Powder River County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.9 | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.2% | 14.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.8% | 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).
Powder River County, MT Compared With Nearby Counties
How Powder River County, MT compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powder River County, MT | 1,815 | $65,480 #2/2 | $225,000 #2/2 | 10.6 min #1/2 |
| Campbell County, WY | 47,252 | $91,122 | $226,546 | 15.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Powder River County, Montana.
How many people live in Powder River County, Montana?
About 1,815 people live in Powder River County, Montana, in 708 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 47.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
How densely populated is Powder River County, Montana?
Averaged over its land area, Powder River County, Montana has 1 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 1% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Powder River County, Montana an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.4 times the median household income ($225,000 against $65,480), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $533 a month takes about 10% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Powder River County, Montana?
Unemployment in Powder River County, Montana is only 1.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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