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 2017, at 26.8%. Lewis and Clark County had the lowest, at 8.3%. The median was 13.3% and the figure for Montana was 12.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest26.8Big Horn County
Lowest8.3Lewis and Clark County
Median13.356 counties
Montana12.7History

All counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 26.8 %26.8Blaine CountyBlaine County: 26.2 %26.2Glacier CountyGlacier County: 26.2 %26.2Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 26.1 %26.1Sanders CountySanders County: 20.5 %20.5Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 19 %19Lake CountyLake County: 18.8 %18.8Powell CountyPowell County: 18.7 %18.7Liberty CountyLiberty County: 18.5 %18.5Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 18.5 %18.5Pondera CountyPondera County: 17.7 %17.7Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 17.3 %17.3Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 17.2 %17.2Garfield CountyGarfield County: 16.4 %16.4Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 16.3 %16.3Meagher CountyMeagher County: 16 %16Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 15.9 %15.9Hill CountyHill County: 15.7 %15.7Toole CountyToole County: 15.7 %15.7Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 15.6 %15.6McCone CountyMcCone County: 14.7 %14.7Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 14.5 %14.5Mineral CountyMineral County: 14.5 %14.5Phillips CountyPhillips County: 14.4 %14.4Missoula CountyMissoula County: 14.3 %14.3Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 14.1 %14.1Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 13.8 %13.8Teton CountyTeton County: 13.5 %13.5Custer CountyCuster County: 13 %13Carter CountyCarter County: 12.9 %12.9Park CountyPark County: 12.9 %12.9Fergus CountyFergus County: 12.7 %12.7Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 12.7 %12.7Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 12.5 %12.5Granite CountyGranite County: 12.2 %12.2Powder River CountyPowder River County: 12.2 %12.2Prairie CountyPrairie County: 12 %12Cascade CountyCascade County: 11.9 %11.9Valley CountyValley County: 11.8 %11.8Treasure CountyTreasure County: 11.7 %11.7Flathead CountyFlathead County: 11 %11Sheridan CountySheridan County: 11 %11Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 10.8 %10.8Dawson CountyDawson County: 10.7 %10.7Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 10.3 %10.3Daniels CountyDaniels County: 10.2 %10.2Madison CountyMadison County: 10 %10Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 10 %10Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 9.8 %9.8Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 9.8 %9.8Carbon CountyCarbon County: 9.4 %9.4Fallon CountyFallon County: 9.1 %9.1Richland CountyRichland County: 8.7 %8.7Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 8.5 %8.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 8.4 %8.4Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 8.3 %8.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Big Horn County26.8+1.3 pts
2Blaine County26.2+1.9 pts
2Glacier County26.2-2.1 pts
4Roosevelt County26.1+2.2 pts
5Sanders County20.5+2.9 pts
6Golden Valley County19+0.7 pts
7Lake County18.8-0.4 pts
8Powell County18.7+1.2 pts
9Liberty County18.5-1.7 pts
9Wheatland County18.5-0.5 pts
11Pondera County17.7-0.7 pts
12Rosebud County17.3+0.7 pts
13Musselshell County17.2-0.2 pts
14Garfield County16.4+2.6 pts
15Silver Bow County16.3+0.8 pts
16Meagher County16-2.3 pts
17Deer Lodge County15.9-2.7 pts
18Hill County15.7-3.8 pts
18Toole County15.7-1.1 pts
20Lincoln County15.6-3.1 pts
21McCone County14.7-0.9 pts
22Chouteau County14.5-1.2 pts
22Mineral County14.5-3.3 pts
24Phillips County14.4-1.1 pts
25Missoula County14.3-0.9 pts
26Petroleum County14.1-1 pts
27Beaverhead County13.8-0.6 pts
28Teton County13.5-0.6 pts
29Custer County13+1.6 pts
30Carter County12.9-0.9 pts
30Park County12.9+1.2 pts
32Fergus County12.7-1.9 pts
32Judith Basin County12.7-0.7 pts
34Ravalli County12.5-1.3 pts
35Granite County12.2-0.9 pts
35Powder River County12.2+1.5 pts
37Prairie County12-0.1 pts
38Cascade County11.9-2.3 pts
39Valley County11.8-0.7 pts
40Treasure County11.7+1.4 pts
41Flathead County11-1.3 pts
41Sheridan County11+0.4 pts
43Wibaux County10.8-0.1 pts
44Dawson County10.7-0.5 pts
45Yellowstone County10.3+1.5 pts
46Daniels County10.2-0.1 pts
47Madison County10-1.2 pts
47Sweet Grass County10+0.2 pts
49Broadwater County9.8-0.8 pts
49Gallatin County9.8-1.6 pts
51Carbon County9.4-0.9 pts
52Fallon County9.1+0.6 pts
53Richland County8.7+1.2 pts
54Stillwater County8.5+0.1 pts
55Jefferson County8.4-0.4 pts
56Lewis and Clark County8.3-2.1 pts

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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Big Horn County, with 26.8% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Lewis and Clark County, with 8.3% in 2017.

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