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 2020, at 28.9%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 6.7%. The median was 13.5% and the figure for Montana was 12.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest28.9Big Horn County
Lowest6.7Jefferson County
Median13.556 counties
Montana12.4History

All counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 28.9 %28.9Glacier CountyGlacier County: 24.3 %24.3Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 23.8 %23.8Blaine CountyBlaine County: 20.9 %20.9Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 20.9 %20.9Liberty CountyLiberty County: 19 %19Hill CountyHill County: 18.9 %18.9Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 18.6 %18.6Pondera CountyPondera County: 18.5 %18.5Lake CountyLake County: 18.3 %18.3Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 17.9 %17.9Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 17.9 %17.9Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 17.5 %17.5Meagher CountyMeagher County: 16.6 %16.6Powell CountyPowell County: 16.5 %16.5Sanders CountySanders County: 16.3 %16.3Toole CountyToole County: 15.8 %15.8Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 15.7 %15.7Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 15.4 %15.4Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 15.1 %15.1Garfield CountyGarfield County: 15 %15Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 15 %15Mineral CountyMineral County: 14.9 %14.9Phillips CountyPhillips County: 14.9 %14.9Carter CountyCarter County: 14.7 %14.7McCone CountyMcCone County: 14.5 %14.5Fergus CountyFergus County: 13.6 %13.6Cascade CountyCascade County: 13.5 %13.5Valley CountyValley County: 13.4 %13.4Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 13.3 %13.3Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 13.2 %13.2Prairie CountyPrairie County: 12.8 %12.8Granite CountyGranite County: 12.7 %12.7Powder River CountyPowder River County: 12.6 %12.6Treasure CountyTreasure County: 12.5 %12.5Teton CountyTeton County: 12.4 %12.4Missoula CountyMissoula County: 11.8 %11.8Sheridan CountySheridan County: 11.8 %11.8Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 11.7 %11.7Custer CountyCuster County: 11.5 %11.5Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 11.3 %11.3Carbon CountyCarbon County: 11.2 %11.2Daniels CountyDaniels County: 11.2 %11.2Park CountyPark County: 10.9 %10.9Dawson CountyDawson County: 10.8 %10.8Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 10.6 %10.6Flathead CountyFlathead County: 10.5 %10.5Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 10.2 %10.2Madison CountyMadison County: 9.9 %9.9Fallon CountyFallon County: 9.4 %9.4Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 9.3 %9.3Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 9.1 %9.1Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 8.8 %8.8Richland CountyRichland County: 8 %8Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 7.8 %7.8Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 6.7 %6.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Big Horn County28.9+2.8 pts
2Glacier County24.3-1.4 pts
3Roosevelt County23.8-0.5 pts
4Blaine County20.9-0.4 pts
4Wheatland County20.9+2.6 pts
6Liberty County190 pts
7Hill County18.9+3.2 pts
8Golden Valley County18.6-1.1 pts
9Pondera County18.5+1 pts
10Lake County18.3+1.1 pts
11Deer Lodge County17.9+2 pts
11Lincoln County17.9+0.5 pts
13Rosebud County17.5+1.2 pts
14Meagher County16.6+0.9 pts
15Powell County16.5+0.2 pts
16Sanders County16.3-0.4 pts
17Toole County15.80 pts
18Judith Basin County15.7+1.2 pts
19Musselshell County15.4-1.1 pts
20Chouteau County15.1-0.3 pts
21Garfield County15-1.4 pts
21Petroleum County15+0.2 pts
23Mineral County14.9-0.7 pts
23Phillips County14.9+0.6 pts
25Carter County14.7+0.5 pts
26McCone County14.50 pts
27Fergus County13.6+0.4 pts
28Cascade County13.5-0.7 pts
29Valley County13.4+0.6 pts
30Beaverhead County13.3-1.2 pts
31Silver Bow County13.2-2.1 pts
32Prairie County12.8-0.3 pts
33Granite County12.7+0.2 pts
34Powder River County12.6-1.2 pts
35Treasure County12.5+0.3 pts
36Teton County12.4-1.1 pts
37Missoula County11.80 pts
37Sheridan County11.8-0.5 pts
39Wibaux County11.7+0.4 pts
40Custer County11.5-1.5 pts
41Ravalli County11.3+0.1 pts
42Carbon County11.2+1.1 pts
42Daniels County11.2+0.2 pts
44Park County10.9-0.9 pts
45Dawson County10.8-1 pts
46Yellowstone County10.6-0.7 pts
47Flathead County10.5+1.1 pts
48Lewis and Clark County10.2+0.8 pts
49Madison County9.9+0.2 pts
50Fallon County9.4-0.3 pts
51Sweet Grass County9.3-1 pts
52Broadwater County9.1+0.1 pts
53Gallatin County8.8-1.5 pts
54Richland County8-0.8 pts
55Stillwater County7.8-1.5 pts
56Jefferson County6.7-1.3 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Big Horn County, with 28.9% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Jefferson County, with 6.7% in 2020.

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