Counties in Montana by poverty rate

Big Horn County had the highest poverty rate of 56 counties in 2021, at 25.7%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 7.4%. The median was 13% and the figure for Montana was 12%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest25.7Big Horn County
Median1356 counties
Montana12History

All counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 25.7 %25.7Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 25.3 %25.3Glacier CountyGlacier County: 24.6 %24.6Blaine CountyBlaine County: 18.9 %18.9Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 17.6 %17.6Lake CountyLake County: 17.2 %17.2Wheatland CountyWheatland County: 17.2 %17.2Pondera CountyPondera County: 17 %17Hill CountyHill County: 16.9 %16.9Powell CountyPowell County: 16.9 %16.9Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 16.8 %16.8Golden Valley CountyGolden Valley County: 16.6 %16.6Liberty CountyLiberty County: 16.1 %16.1Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 15.8 %15.8Meagher CountyMeagher County: 15.3 %15.3Judith Basin CountyJudith Basin County: 15.1 %15.1Garfield CountyGarfield County: 14.8 %14.8Sanders CountySanders County: 14.7 %14.7Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 14.6 %14.6Toole CountyToole County: 14.6 %14.6Phillips CountyPhillips County: 14.5 %14.5Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 14.4 %14.4Mineral CountyMineral County: 14.2 %14.2McCone CountyMcCone County: 13.9 %13.9Prairie CountyPrairie County: 13.7 %13.7Custer CountyCuster County: 13.2 %13.2Carter CountyCarter County: 13.1 %13.1Cascade CountyCascade County: 13 %13Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 13 %13Missoula CountyMissoula County: 12.9 %12.9Petroleum CountyPetroleum County: 12.9 %12.9Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 12.7 %12.7Teton CountyTeton County: 12.5 %12.5Treasure CountyTreasure County: 12.1 %12.1Fergus CountyFergus County: 12 %12Sheridan CountySheridan County: 11.8 %11.8Valley CountyValley County: 11.8 %11.8Granite CountyGranite County: 11.7 %11.7Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 11.3 %11.3Daniels CountyDaniels County: 11.2 %11.2Dawson CountyDawson County: 11.2 %11.2Powder River CountyPowder River County: 11.1 %11.1Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 11.1 %11.1Park CountyPark County: 9.9 %9.9Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 9.7 %9.7Flathead CountyFlathead County: 9.5 %9.5Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 9.5 %9.5Carbon CountyCarbon County: 9.2 %9.2Madison CountyMadison County: 9.1 %9.1Richland CountyRichland County: 9.1 %9.1Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 9 %9Fallon CountyFallon County: 8.9 %8.9Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 8.8 %8.8Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 8.6 %8.6Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 8.1 %8.1Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 7.4 %7.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Big Horn County25.7-3.2 pts
2Roosevelt County25.3+1.5 pts
3Glacier County24.6+0.3 pts
4Blaine County18.9-2 pts
5Rosebud County17.6+0.1 pts
6Lake County17.2-1.1 pts
6Wheatland County17.2-3.7 pts
8Pondera County17-1.5 pts
9Hill County16.9-2 pts
9Powell County16.9+0.4 pts
11Lincoln County16.8-1.1 pts
12Golden Valley County16.6-2 pts
13Liberty County16.1-2.9 pts
14Musselshell County15.8+0.4 pts
15Meagher County15.3-1.3 pts
16Judith Basin County15.1-0.6 pts
17Garfield County14.8-0.2 pts
18Sanders County14.7-1.6 pts
19Deer Lodge County14.6-3.3 pts
19Toole County14.6-1.2 pts
21Phillips County14.5-0.4 pts
22Chouteau County14.4-0.7 pts
23Mineral County14.2-0.7 pts
24McCone County13.9-0.6 pts
25Prairie County13.7+0.9 pts
26Custer County13.2+1.7 pts
27Carter County13.1-1.6 pts
28Cascade County13-0.5 pts
28Silver Bow County13-0.2 pts
30Missoula County12.9+1.1 pts
30Petroleum County12.9-2.1 pts
32Beaverhead County12.7-0.6 pts
33Teton County12.5+0.1 pts
34Treasure County12.1-0.4 pts
35Fergus County12-1.6 pts
36Sheridan County11.80 pts
36Valley County11.8-1.6 pts
38Granite County11.7-1 pts
39Yellowstone County11.3+0.7 pts
40Daniels County11.20 pts
40Dawson County11.2+0.4 pts
42Powder River County11.1-1.5 pts
42Wibaux County11.1-0.6 pts
44Park County9.9-1 pts
45Sweet Grass County9.7+0.4 pts
46Flathead County9.5-1 pts
46Ravalli County9.5-1.8 pts
48Carbon County9.2-2 pts
49Madison County9.1-0.8 pts
49Richland County9.1+1.1 pts
51Lewis and Clark County9-1.2 pts
52Fallon County8.9-0.5 pts
53Gallatin County8.80 pts
54Broadwater County8.6-0.5 pts
55Stillwater County8.1+0.3 pts
56Jefferson County7.4+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/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Big Horn County, with 25.7% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Jefferson County, with 7.4% in 2021.

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