Powell County, Montana

County in MT, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

7,053

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

45.8

years ∙ half population younger than 45.8, half older

Diversity Index

24.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.3%

foreign-born population

97.7%Native

2.3% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Powell County is a county in Montana, United States.

Location

County in MT, US

Co-ordinates

DEC46.844225° N, 112.931100° W

DMS46° 50′ 39.21″ N, 112° 55′ 51.96″ W

Population Density & area

3.03/sq mi (1.17/km²)

Total Area

2,332 sq mi (6,040 km²)

Land Area

2,326 sq mi (6,024 km²) · 99.73%

Water Area

6 sq mi (16 km²) · 0.27%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

65% male

Male 65%

Female 35%

males per 100 females

Powell County 185.8

Montana 102.7

United States 98

Nativity

2.3%

foreign-born population

97.7%Native

2.3% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Powell County 2.3%

Montana 2.3%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

45.8

years ∙ half population younger than 45.8, half older

Powell County

45.8

Montana

40.4

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

51.8

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Powell County 51.8

Montana 69.9

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Powell County	Montana	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	13.3%	21%	22%
Working age (18-64)	65.8%	58.9%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	20.9%	20.1%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	51.8	69.9	64.4
Child dependency ratio	20.1	35.7	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	31.7	34.2	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

86.8%

Black

0.4%

Asian

1.5%

Hispanic

2.7%

Other

8.6%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

24.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Powell County 24.2%

Montana 29.4%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Powell County population

	Powell County	Montana	United States
Hispanic or Latino	2.7%	4.6%	19.3%
Mexican	2.1%	2.9%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.2%	1.8%
Cuban	0.1%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.5%	1.3%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	97.3%	95.4%	80.7%
One race	93.8%	90.7%	76.4%
White	86.8%	83.6%	57.4%
Black or African American	0.4%	0.4%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	4.6%	5.3%	0.5%
Asian	1.5%	0.8%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.5%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.5%	4.7%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63.9% family

Family 63.9%

Non family 36.1%

% family households

Powell County 63.9%

Montana 60.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.22

persons per household

Powell County

2.22

Montana

2.37

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Powell County population

	Powell County	Montana	United States
Total households	2,432	458,859	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.22	2.37	2.53
Family households	1,555	276,731	82,990,528
Average family size	2.69	3	3.14
Married couple family	1,351	222,207	60,637,388
Other families	204	54,524	22,353,140
Male householder	106	19,995	6,572,819
Female householder	98	34,529	15,780,321
Non-family households	877	182,128	46,236,968
One-person households	740	144,042	37,140,836
Male householder	463	71,216	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	166	24,799	5,225,110
Female householder	277	72,826	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	184	38,387	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	137	38,086	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

3,006

housing units

Powell County 3,006

Montana 528,419

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

80.9% occupied

Occupied 80.9%

Vacant 19.1%

vacancy rate

Powell County 19.1%

Montana 13.2%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

79%

Single family houses

79%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

7.8%

Mobile homes

11.9%

Boat, RV, van, etc

1.2%

Median Year Built

1961

Half of houses were built before 1961, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

18.6%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

35.9%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

30.1%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

15.5%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Powell County	Montana	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.9	5.6	5.5
1–3 rooms	13.5%	14.6%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	48.1%	49.7%	51.6%
7+ rooms	38.3%	35.9%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.5%	2.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	10.3%	10.3%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	30.2%	25.7%	25%
3 bedrooms	32.3%	36.5%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	25.7%	24.8%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1961	1981	1981
Total housing units	3,006	528,419	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

72.5% owners

Renter-occupied 27.5%

Owner-occupied 72.5%

homeownership rate

Powell County 72.5%

Montana 69.2%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.29

Owner-occupied

2.02

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Powell County 2.29

Montana 2.49

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Powell County	Montana	United States
Total occupied units	2,432	458,859	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	22.5%	25.5%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	37%	39.7%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	13.7%	15.9%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	26.9%	18.9%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.1%	98.2%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.2%	1.2%	2.2%
1.51 or more	1.7%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	2.4%	4.7%	8.4%
1 vehicle	26.6%	26.9%	33.1%
2 vehicles	34.3%	36.9%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	36.6%	31.5%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	61.8%	63.5%	51.4%
Electricity	20.7%	27.3%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.2%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.4%	0.6%	3.9%
All other fuels	16.9%	7.9%	2%
No fuel used	0%	0.5%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.1%	0.5%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	0.9%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.3%	1.1%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$306,500

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Powell County

$306,500

Montana

$375,800

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

19.3%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

19.3%

Owners without a mortgage

6.5%

Renters

17%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Powell County	Montana	United States
Property value
Median Value	$306,500	$375,800	$332,700
Under $100,000	3.5%	10.2%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	22.6%	11.2%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	23.1%	15.9%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	29.8%	30.8%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	14.3%	24.9%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	6.6%	7%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	48%	54.5%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	52%	45.5%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,568	$1,798	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$561	$571	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$820	$1,081	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

19.3%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Powell County 19.3%

Montana 35.2%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

6.4%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Powell County 6.4%

Montana 5.4%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

831

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

0.4%

K–12

81.2%

College / Undergraduate

14.3%

Graduate / Professional

4.1%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

19.1%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Powell County

19.1%

Montana

34.5%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Powell County	Montana	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	831	240,826	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	0.4%	5.2%	5.7%
K–12	81.2%	70.6%	67.6%
Kindergarten	4.7%	5.3%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	16.4%	21.7%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	26.6%	22%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	33.6%	21.7%	21.7%
College or graduate school	18.4%	24.2%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	14.3%	19.1%	21%
Graduate, professional school	4.1%	5%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	19.1%	34.5%	40.9%
School type
Public school	77.5%	84%	82%
Private school	22.5%	16%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

5,651

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

1.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.6%

HS graduate

46.1%

Some college no degree

20.7%

Associates degree

7.5%

Bachelors degree

14%

Graduate or professional degree

5.2%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

54.9% · 45.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

75.6% · 24.4%

HS graduate

72.5% · 27.5%

Some college no degree

65.4% · 34.6%

Associates degree

63.1% · 36.9%

Bachelors degree

52.1% · 47.9%

Graduate or professional degree

54.1% · 45.9%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Powell County	Montana	United States
Population (25+)	5,651	781,264	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	1.8%	1.6%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.6%	3.8%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	46.1%	27.5%	26%
Some college, no degree	20.7%	22.4%	19.1%
Associate's degree	7.5%	9.6%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.3%	35.2%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	14%	23.2%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	5.2%	12%	14.1%
High School or higher	93.6%	94.6%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$33,678

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$26,528

HS graduate

$19,288

Some college or associates

$46,625

Bachelors degree

$61,979

Graduate or professional degree

$66,324

Poverty Rate

0.3%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

3.7%

HS graduate

5.6%

Some college or associates

9.1%

Bachelors degree or higher

0.3%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Powell County	Montana	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$33,678	$46,951	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$26,528	$33,639	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$19,288	$38,073	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$46,625	$42,611	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$61,979	$55,623	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$66,324	$72,265	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	3.7%	26.8%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	5.6%	13.1%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	9.1%	9.9%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	0.3%	4.7%	4.5%

Insights for Powell County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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