Big Sandy, MT

Census Place

2024 Population

784

US Senator

Steve Daines

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Sheehy

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

43.4

20.2% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.55%

6.29% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$60,521

4.2% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

Population & Diversity

Big Sandy, MT is home to a population of 784 people, from which 99.9% are citizens.

As of 2024, 1.79% of Big Sandy, MT residents were born outside of the country (14 people).

In 2024, there were 7.45 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (648 people) in Big Sandy, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 87 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 44 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.9%

2024 Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.9% of Big Sandy, MT residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Big Sandy, MT was 99.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Big Sandy, MT compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Big Sandy, MT

White (Non-Hispanic)
648 ± 149
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
87 ± 56
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
44 ± 36

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Big Sandy, MT as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Montana.

Most Common Origin

Canada
4,118 ± 1,573 people
Mexico
2,905 ± 1,322 people
Philippines
1,984 ± 1,093 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Montana was Canada, the natal country of 4,118 Montana residents, followed by Mexico with 2,905 and Philippines with 1,984.

Foreign-Born Population

1.79%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

14 people

2.13%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

18 people

As of 2024, 1.79% of Big Sandy, MT residents (14 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Big Sandy, MT was 2.13%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Big Sandy, MT compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
17 ± 22
Gulf War (2001-)
14 ± 20
Gulf War (1990s)
4 ± 13

Big Sandy, MT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.21 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Big Sandy, MT.

Economy

The economy of Big Sandy, MT employs 308 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Big Sandy, MT were Health Care & Social Assistance (72 people), Construction (55 people), and Educational Services (53 people), and the highest paying industries were Retail Trade ($82,625), Public Administration ($49,050), and Wholesale Trade ($47,500).

Employment

Occupations

308

2024 Value

± 94

−14.2%

1 Year decline

± 49%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Big Sandy, MT declined at a rate of −14.2%, from 359 employees to 308 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Big Sandy, MT, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (42 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (41 people), and Management Occupations (37 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Big Sandy, MT.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Montana.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Montana (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

308

2024 Value

± 94

−14.2%

1 Year decline

± 49%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Big Sandy, MT declined at a rate of −14.2%, from 359 employees to 308 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Big Sandy, MT, are Health Care & Social Assistance (72 people), Construction (55 people), and Educational Services (53 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Big Sandy, MT, though some of these residents may live in Big Sandy, MT and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$34,375

Median earning men ± $28,825

$38,920

Median earning women ± $7,242

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($59,167), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($27,500), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($21,000).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($38,417).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Big Sandy, MT was $187,500 in 2024, which is 0.564 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $129,600 to $187,500, a 44.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Big Sandy, MT is 74.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Big Sandy, MT have an average commute time of 16.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Big Sandy, MT is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$187,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$65,946

$193

Median Property Taxes

±$51

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Big Sandy, MT the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Big Sandy, MT compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

74.5%

Homeownership

2024

60.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 74.5% of the housing units in Big Sandy, MT were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 59.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Big Sandy, MT compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$60,521

Median Household Income

± $16,173

259

Number of Households

± 65

In 2024, the median household income of the 259 households in Big Sandy, MT grew to $60,521 from the previous year's value of $58,083.

The following chart displays the households in Big Sandy, MT distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $45k - $50k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Big Sandy, MT is from Montana.

0.458

2024 Wage GINI in Montana

0.46

2023 Wage GINI in Montana

In 2024, the income inequality in Montana was 0.458 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.613% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Montana was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Montana in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Montana across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (63.6%)
Carpooled (16.7%)
Worked At Home (14.3%)

In 2024, 63.6% of workers in Big Sandy, MT drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (16.7%) and those who worked at home (14.3%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

16.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Big Sandy, MT have a shorter commute time (16.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.794% of the workforce in Big Sandy, MT have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Big Sandy, MT compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Big Sandy, MT distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Big Sandy, MT have 1 car.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

8.55% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Big Sandy, MT (66 out of 772 people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 65 - 74, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 16 - 17.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Big Sandy, MT is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Keep Exploring