Counties in Montana by poverty rate

Glacier County had the highest poverty rate of 56 counties in 2018, at 27%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 7.7%. The median was 13.7% and the figure for Montana was 12.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Median13.756 counties
Montana12.9History

All counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Glacier CountyGlacier County: 27 %27Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 25.6 %25.6Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 25.4 %25.4Blaine CountyBlaine County: 20.8 %20.8Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 20.3 %20.3Liberty CountyLiberty County: 19 %19Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 19 %19Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 18.9 %18.9Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 18.7 %18.7Lake CountyLake County: 18.2 %18.2Powell CountyPowell County: 18.1 %18.1Pondera CountyPondera County: 17.8 %17.8Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 17 %17Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 16.7 %16.7Garfield CountyGarfield County: 16.3 %16.3Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 16.2 %16.2Sanders CountySanders County: 16 %16Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 15.9 %15.9Meagher CountyMeagher County: 15.9 %15.9Teton CountyTeton County: 15.8 %15.8Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 15.5 %15.5Phillips CountyPhillips County: 15.2 %15.2Toole CountyToole County: 15.1 %15.1Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 15 %15McCone CountyMcCone County: 14.2 %14.2Mineral CountyMineral County: 14 %14Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 13.8 %13.8Carter CountyCarter County: 13.7 %13.7Valley CountyValley County: 13.7 %13.7Hill CountyHill County: 13.5 %13.5Prairie CountyPrairie County: 13.5 %13.5Cascade CountyCascade County: 13.4 %13.4Granite CountyGranite County: 13.4 %13.4Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 13.3 %13.3Missoula CountyMissoula County: 12.7 %12.7Custer CountyCuster County: 12.5 %12.5Fergus CountyFergus County: 12.2 %12.2Powder River CountyPowder River County: 12.2 %12.2Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 12 %12Carbon CountyCarbon County: 11.7 %11.7Dawson CountyDawson County: 11.4 %11.4Treasure CountyTreasure County: 11.4 %11.4Flathead CountyFlathead County: 11.2 %11.2Sheridan CountySheridan County: 10.9 %10.9Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 10.9 %10.9Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 10.5 %10.5Park CountyPark County: 10.5 %10.5Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 10.3 %10.3Daniels CountyDaniels County: 10.1 %10.1Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 10 %10Fallon CountyFallon County: 9.2 %9.2Madison CountyMadison County: 9.2 %9.2Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 9 %9Richland CountyRichland County: 8.7 %8.7Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 8.1 %8.1Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 7.7 %7.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Glacier County27+0.8 pts
2Big Horn County25.6-1.2 pts
3Roosevelt County25.4-0.7 pts
4Blaine County20.8-5.4 pts
5Lincoln County20.3+4.7 pts
6Liberty County19+0.5 pts
6Wheatland County19+0.5 pts
8Golden Valley County18.9-0.1 pts
9Chouteau County18.7+4.2 pts
10Lake County18.2-0.6 pts
11Powell County18.1-0.6 pts
12Pondera County17.8+0.1 pts
13Rosebud County17-0.3 pts
14Silver Bow County16.7+0.4 pts
15Garfield County16.3-0.1 pts
16Petroleum County16.2+2.1 pts
17Sanders County16-4.5 pts
18Deer Lodge County15.90 pts
18Meagher County15.9-0.1 pts
20Teton County15.8+2.3 pts
21Ravalli County15.5+3 pts
22Phillips County15.2+0.8 pts
23Toole County15.1-0.6 pts
24Musselshell County15-2.2 pts
25McCone County14.2-0.5 pts
26Mineral County14-0.5 pts
27Beaverhead County13.80 pts
28Carter County13.7+0.8 pts
28Valley County13.7+1.9 pts
30Hill County13.5-2.2 pts
30Prairie County13.5+1.5 pts
32Cascade County13.4+1.5 pts
32Granite County13.4+1.2 pts
34Judith Basin County13.3+0.6 pts
35Missoula County12.7-1.6 pts
36Custer County12.5-0.5 pts
37Fergus County12.2-0.5 pts
37Powder River County12.20 pts
39Wibaux County12+1.2 pts
40Carbon County11.7+2.3 pts
41Dawson County11.4+0.7 pts
41Treasure County11.4-0.3 pts
43Flathead County11.2+0.2 pts
44Sheridan County10.9-0.1 pts
44Yellowstone County10.9+0.6 pts
46Lewis and Clark County10.5+2.2 pts
46Park County10.5-2.4 pts
48Broadwater County10.3+0.5 pts
49Daniels County10.1-0.1 pts
50Sweet Grass County100 pts
51Fallon County9.2+0.1 pts
51Madison County9.2-0.8 pts
53Gallatin County9-0.8 pts
54Richland County8.70 pts
55Stillwater County8.1-0.4 pts
56Jefferson County7.7-0.7 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in Montana by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Glacier County, with 27% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Jefferson County, with 7.7% in 2018.

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