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 2019, at 26.1%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 8%. The median was 14.2% and the figure for Montana was 12.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest26.1Big Horn County
Lowest8Jefferson County
Median14.256 counties
Montana12.6History

All counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 26.1 %26.1Glacier CountyGlacier County: 25.7 %25.7Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 24.3 %24.3Blaine CountyBlaine County: 21.3 %21.3Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 19.7 %19.7Liberty CountyLiberty County: 19 %19Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 18.3 %18.3Pondera CountyPondera County: 17.5 %17.5Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 17.4 %17.4Lake CountyLake County: 17.2 %17.2Sanders CountySanders County: 16.7 %16.7Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 16.5 %16.5Garfield CountyGarfield County: 16.4 %16.4Powell CountyPowell County: 16.3 %16.3Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 16.3 %16.3Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 15.9 %15.9Toole CountyToole County: 15.8 %15.8Hill CountyHill County: 15.7 %15.7Meagher CountyMeagher County: 15.7 %15.7Mineral CountyMineral County: 15.6 %15.6Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 15.4 %15.4Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 15.3 %15.3Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 14.8 %14.8Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 14.5 %14.5Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 14.5 %14.5McCone CountyMcCone County: 14.5 %14.5Phillips CountyPhillips County: 14.3 %14.3Carter CountyCarter County: 14.2 %14.2Cascade CountyCascade County: 14.2 %14.2Powder River CountyPowder River County: 13.8 %13.8Teton CountyTeton County: 13.5 %13.5Fergus CountyFergus County: 13.2 %13.2Prairie CountyPrairie County: 13.1 %13.1Custer CountyCuster County: 13 %13Valley CountyValley County: 12.8 %12.8Granite CountyGranite County: 12.5 %12.5Sheridan CountySheridan County: 12.3 %12.3Treasure CountyTreasure County: 12.2 %12.2Dawson CountyDawson County: 11.8 %11.8Missoula CountyMissoula County: 11.8 %11.8Park CountyPark County: 11.8 %11.8Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 11.3 %11.3Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 11.3 %11.3Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 11.2 %11.2Daniels CountyDaniels County: 11 %11Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 10.3 %10.3Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 10.3 %10.3Carbon CountyCarbon County: 10.1 %10.1Fallon CountyFallon County: 9.7 %9.7Madison CountyMadison County: 9.7 %9.7Flathead CountyFlathead County: 9.4 %9.4Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 9.4 %9.4Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 9.3 %9.3Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 9 %9Richland CountyRichland County: 8.8 %8.8Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 8 %8
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Big Horn County26.1+0.5 pts
2Glacier County25.7-1.3 pts
3Roosevelt County24.3-1.1 pts
4Blaine County21.3+0.5 pts
5Golden Valley County19.7+0.8 pts
6Liberty County190 pts
7Wheatland County18.3-0.7 pts
8Pondera County17.5-0.3 pts
9Lincoln County17.4-2.9 pts
10Lake County17.2-1 pts
11Sanders County16.7+0.7 pts
12Musselshell County16.5+1.5 pts
13Garfield County16.4+0.1 pts
14Powell County16.3-1.8 pts
14Rosebud County16.3-0.7 pts
16Deer Lodge County15.90 pts
17Toole County15.8+0.7 pts
18Hill County15.7+2.2 pts
18Meagher County15.7-0.2 pts
20Mineral County15.6+1.6 pts
21Chouteau County15.4-3.3 pts
22Silver Bow County15.3-1.4 pts
23Petroleum County14.8-1.4 pts
24Beaverhead County14.5+0.7 pts
24Judith Basin County14.5+1.2 pts
24McCone County14.5+0.3 pts
27Phillips County14.3-0.9 pts
28Carter County14.2+0.5 pts
28Cascade County14.2+0.8 pts
30Powder River County13.8+1.6 pts
31Teton County13.5-2.3 pts
32Fergus County13.2+1 pts
33Prairie County13.1-0.4 pts
34Custer County13+0.5 pts
35Valley County12.8-0.9 pts
36Granite County12.5-0.9 pts
37Sheridan County12.3+1.4 pts
38Treasure County12.2+0.8 pts
39Dawson County11.8+0.4 pts
39Missoula County11.8-0.9 pts
39Park County11.8+1.3 pts
42Wibaux County11.3-0.7 pts
42Yellowstone County11.3+0.4 pts
44Ravalli County11.2-4.3 pts
45Daniels County11+0.9 pts
46Gallatin County10.3+1.3 pts
46Sweet Grass County10.3+0.3 pts
48Carbon County10.1-1.6 pts
49Fallon County9.7+0.5 pts
49Madison County9.7+0.5 pts
51Flathead County9.4-1.8 pts
51Lewis and Clark County9.4-1.1 pts
53Stillwater County9.3+1.2 pts
54Broadwater County9-1.3 pts
55Richland County8.8+0.1 pts
56Jefferson County8+0.3 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Counties in Montana by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"poverty_rate","level":"province","within":"Montana","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=poverty_rate&level=province&within=Montana&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Big Horn County, with 26.1% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Jefferson County, with 8% in 2019.

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