Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Montana

Counties in Montana by poverty rate

Big Horn County had the highest poverty rate of 56 counties in 2015, at 31%. Richland County had the lowest, at 7%. The median was 14.1% and the figure for Montana was 14.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest31Big Horn County
Lowest7Richland County
Median14.156 counties
Montana14.4History

All counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 31 %31Blaine CountyBlaine County: 29.6 %29.6Glacier CountyGlacier County: 28.1 %28.1Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 24.3 %24.3Hill CountyHill County: 21.2 %21.2Lake CountyLake County: 20.8 %20.8Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 20.3 %20.3Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 20.2 %20.2Pondera CountyPondera County: 20.1 %20.1Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 20.1 %20.1Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 18.8 %18.8Sanders CountySanders County: 18.7 %18.7Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 18.1 %18.1Powell CountyPowell County: 18.1 %18.1Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 17.7 %17.7Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 17.6 %17.6Meagher CountyMeagher County: 17.3 %17.3Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 17 %17Liberty CountyLiberty County: 17 %17Toole CountyToole County: 17 %17Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 16.7 %16.7Mineral CountyMineral County: 16.4 %16.4Phillips CountyPhillips County: 16.4 %16.4Missoula CountyMissoula County: 15.8 %15.8Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 15.4 %15.4Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 14.9 %14.9Cascade CountyCascade County: 14.4 %14.4Garfield CountyGarfield County: 14.2 %14.2Granite CountyGranite County: 14.1 %14.1Flathead CountyFlathead County: 14 %14Carter CountyCarter County: 13.9 %13.9McCone CountyMcCone County: 13.9 %13.9Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 13.8 %13.8Fergus CountyFergus County: 13.6 %13.6Park CountyPark County: 12.7 %12.7Prairie CountyPrairie County: 12.5 %12.5Teton CountyTeton County: 12.4 %12.4Custer CountyCuster County: 12.2 %12.2Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 12.2 %12.2Valley CountyValley County: 12.1 %12.1Treasure CountyTreasure County: 11.8 %11.8Carbon CountyCarbon County: 11.7 %11.7Madison CountyMadison County: 11.4 %11.4Dawson CountyDawson County: 11 %11Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 10.9 %10.9Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 10.8 %10.8Powder River CountyPowder River County: 10.7 %10.7Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 10.7 %10.7Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 10.4 %10.4Daniels CountyDaniels County: 10.2 %10.2Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 10.1 %10.1Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 9.8 %9.8Sheridan CountySheridan County: 9.4 %9.4Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 9.1 %9.1Fallon CountyFallon County: 7.7 %7.7Richland CountyRichland County: 7 %7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Big Horn County31
2Blaine County29.6
3Glacier County28.1
4Roosevelt County24.3
5Hill County21.2
6Lake County20.8
7Lincoln County20.3
8Golden Valley County20.2
9Pondera County20.1
9Wheatland County20.1
11Rosebud County18.8
12Sanders County18.7
13Deer Lodge County18.1
13Powell County18.1
15Musselshell County17.7
16Chouteau County17.6
17Meagher County17.3
18Beaverhead County17
18Liberty County17
18Toole County17
21Silver Bow County16.7
22Mineral County16.4
22Phillips County16.4
24Missoula County15.8
25Petroleum County15.4
26Ravalli County14.9
27Cascade County14.4
28Garfield County14.2
29Granite County14.1
30Flathead County14
31Carter County13.9
31McCone County13.9
33Judith Basin County13.8
34Fergus County13.6
35Park County12.7
36Prairie County12.5
37Teton County12.4
38Custer County12.2
38Lewis and Clark County12.2
40Valley County12.1
41Treasure County11.8
42Carbon County11.7
43Madison County11.4
44Dawson County11
45Gallatin County10.9
46Broadwater County10.8
47Powder River County10.7
47Sweet Grass County10.7
49Yellowstone County10.4
50Daniels County10.2
51Wibaux County10.1
52Jefferson County9.8
53Sheridan County9.4
54Stillwater County9.1
55Fallon County7.7
56Richland County7

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Big Horn County, with 31% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Richland County, with 7% in 2015.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Montana: more rankings