Deer Lodge County, MT

County

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2024 Population

9,597

US Senator

Steve Daines

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Sheehy

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

49.9

0.605% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

16.3%

10.2% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$57,527

16.1% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$231,700

10.5% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

4,543

2.04% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Deer Lodge County, MT reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.8% of the residents in Deer Lodge County, MT are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Deer Lodge County, MT was $231,700, and the homeownership rate was 73%.

Most people in Deer Lodge County, MT drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Deer Lodge County, MT was 2 cars per household.

Deer Lodge County, MT borders Beaverhead County, MT, Granite County, MT, Jefferson County, MT, Powell County, MT, Ravalli County, MT, and Silver Bow County, MT.

United States Montana

Population & Diversity

Deer Lodge County, MT is home to a population of 9.6k people, from which 99.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.375% of Deer Lodge County, MT residents were born outside of the country (36 people).

In 2024, there were 28 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (8.57k people) in Deer Lodge County, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 306 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 226 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.8%

2024 Citizenship

99.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.8% of Deer Lodge County, MT residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Deer Lodge County, MT was 99.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Deer Lodge County, MT

White (Non-Hispanic)
8.57k ± 90
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
306 ± 78
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
226 ± 62

3.49%

Hispanic Population

335 people

3.49% of the people in Deer Lodge County, MT are hispanic (335 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Deer Lodge County, MT as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Canada
3,832 ± 1,517 people
Mexico
2,638 ± 1,259 people
Germany
1,932 ± 1,078 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Montana was Canada, the natal country of 3,832 Montana residents, followed by Mexico with 2,638 and Germany with 1,932.

Foreign-Born Population

0.375%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

36 people

0.589%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

56 people

As of 2024, 0.375% of Deer Lodge County, MT residents (36 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 Deer Lodge County, MT was 0.589%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
435 ± 118
Gulf War (2001-)
150 ± 90
Gulf War (1990s)
143 ± 64

Deer Lodge County, MT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.9 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Deer Lodge County, MT.

Economy

The economy of Deer Lodge County, MT employs 4.54k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Deer Lodge County, MT were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,020 people), Construction (525 people), and Retail Trade (425 people), and the highest paying industries were Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($102,500), Transportation & Warehousing ($93,295), and Manufacturing ($68,854).

Employment

Occupations

4.54k

2024 Value

± 468

2.04%

1 Year growth

± 14.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Deer Lodge County, MT grew at a rate of 2.04%, from 4.45k employees to 4.54k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Deer Lodge County, MT, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (577 people), Management Occupations (441 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (390 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Deer Lodge County, 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

4.54k

2024 Value

± 468

2.04%

1 Year growth

± 14.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Deer Lodge County, MT grew at a rate of 2.04%, from 4.45k employees to 4.54k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Deer Lodge County, MT, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,020 people), Construction (525 people), and Retail Trade (425 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Deer Lodge County, MT, though some of these residents may live in Deer Lodge County, MT and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,788

Median earning men ± $7,196

$38,588

Median earning women ± $5,704

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($94,318), Information ($85,107), and Manufacturing ($69,792).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($75,375), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($67,868), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($64,609).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.24%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 508k people employed in Montana. This represents a 2.24% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Montana.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

35
Health Care and Social Assistance
33
Health Care and Social Assistance
27
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$74.4k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$15.1k
Construction
$9.92k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Montana went to Donald J. Trump with 58.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.96%).

Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy are the senators currently representing the state of Montana. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Montana is currently represented by 2 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Deer Lodge County, MT. Showing the available data for Montana.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (58.4%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (38.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (1.96%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Montana went to Donald J. Trump with 58.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.96%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Montana for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Montana

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Montana.

Steve Daines

Senator from Montana

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Tim Sheehy

Senator from Montana

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy are the senators currently representing Montana.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Montana over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Deer Lodge County, MT was $231,700 in 2024, which is 0.696 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $209,700 to $231,700, a 10.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Deer Lodge County, MT is 73%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Deer Lodge County, MT have an average commute time of 18.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Deer Lodge County, MT is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 15.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Deer Lodge County, MT. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 3.78%.

Housing

Property

$231,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$14,736

$3,267

Median Property Taxes

±$358

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 Deer Lodge County, MT the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

73%

Homeownership

2024

67.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 73% of the housing units in Deer Lodge County, MT were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 69.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Deer Lodge County, 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.

$57,527

Median Household Income

± $6,425

4.47k

Number of Households

± 441

In 2024, the median household income of the 4.47k households in Deer Lodge County, MT grew to $57,527 from the previous year's value of $49,533.

The following chart displays the households in Deer Lodge County, 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Deer Lodge County, MT is from Montana.

0.46

2023 Wage GINI in Montana

0.463

2022 Wage GINI in Montana

In 2023, the income inequality in Montana was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.635% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Montana was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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 (75.3%)
Worked At Home (8.05%)
Walked (6.26%)

In 2024, 75.3% of workers in Deer Lodge County, MT drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.05%) and those who walked to work (6.26%).

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

18.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Deer Lodge County, MT have a shorter commute time (18.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.64% of the workforce in Deer Lodge County, MT have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Deer Lodge County, MT distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Deer Lodge County, MT have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 15.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Deer Lodge County, MT. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 3.78%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

16.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Deer Lodge County, MT (1.5k out of 9.19k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 35 - 44, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Deer Lodge County, MT is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 14.1% of the children was living in poverty in Deer Lodge County, MT. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 13.7%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 390 in Deer Lodge County, MT. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 29.3 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94.4% of the population of Deer Lodge County, MT has health coverage, with 38.5% on employee plans, 22.4% on Medicaid, 17.3% on Medicare, 14% on non-group plans, and 2.09% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Deer Lodge County, MT see 1,186 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,186 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1189 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 170 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.6% were men and 48.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,186 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Deer Lodge County, MT

Primary care physicians in Deer Lodge County, MT see an average of 1,186 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,186 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Deer Lodge County, MT in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 12.6% under 18 years, 17.9% between 18 and 34 years, 42.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 27.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.6% were men and 48.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.65%

Uninsured

38.5%

Employer Coverage

22.4%

Medicaid

17.3%

Medicare

14%

Non-Group

2.09%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Deer Lodge County, MT declined by 16.5% from 6.76% to 5.65%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Deer Lodge County, MT changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.