Sanders County, Montana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Sanders 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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C
Health Below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Montana
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 84% of counties in Montana
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in Montana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Sanders County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,282 | 1,116,812 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4.8 | 7.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.96% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 53.4 | 40.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,450 | 458,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Sanders County grew by 21.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 13,282 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Sanders County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 30.8% of residents. That is 11.4 points above Montana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,965 14.8% -6.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,964 14.8% -5.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,947 22.2% +2.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,094 30.8% +11.4 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 48.7% of the people living in Sanders County and men 51.3%.
- Women 48.7% Montana 49.4%
- Men 51.3% Montana 50.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Sanders County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Sanders County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Sanders County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,078 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.07% | 5.17% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Sanders County is about 18% lower than in Montana.
Housing
| Metric | Sanders County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $229,555 | $249,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $820 | $1,081 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.3% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Sanders County is about 23.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $820 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Sanders County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 108 hours, about 4.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Sanders County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.9 | 16.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.9 | 32.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 108 | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,341 | $4,143 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.2% | 12.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,932 | 2,162 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 223 | 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 Sanders County is 13 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
Sanders County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Sanders County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.0% | 31.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 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
Sanders County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Sanders County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.6 | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.5% | 14.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.3% | 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).
Sanders County, MT Compared With Nearby Counties
How Sanders County, MT compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanders County, MT | 13,282 | $59,078 #2/3 | $229,555 #3/3 | 12.9 min #2/3 |
| Lincoln County, MT | 21,175 | $47,976 | $362,903 | 11.2 min |
| Lake County, MT | 32,553 | $63,733 | $402,194 | 17.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Sanders County, Montana.
What is the population of Sanders County, Montana?
About 13,282 people live in Sanders County, Montana, in 5,450 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 53.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 16 years.
Is Sanders County, Montana mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Sanders County, Montana has 5 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 6% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Sanders County, Montana an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.9 times the median household income ($229,555 against $59,078), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $820 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Sanders County, Montana have a college degree?
17.0% of adults in Sanders County, Montana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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