Fergus County, MT

County

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2023 Population

11,581

0.739% 1-year growth

US Senator

Steve Daines

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Sheehy

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

45.3

3% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

14.9%

1.09% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$59,731

2.42% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$202,700

15.3% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

5,647

1% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Fergus County, MT had a population of 11.6k people with a median age of 45.3 and a median household income of $59,731. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Fergus County, MT grew from 11,496 to 11,581, a 0.739% increase and its median household income grew from $58,321 to $59,731, a 2.42% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Fergus County, MT are White (Non-Hispanic) (92.7%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (1.89%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.63%), Two+ (Hispanic) (0.941%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (0.881%).

None of the households in Fergus 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.

99.6% of the residents in Fergus County, MT are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Fergus County, MT was $202,700, and the homeownership rate was 66%.

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

Fergus County, MT borders Blaine County, MT, Chouteau County, MT, Golden Valley County, MT, Judith Basin County, MT, Musselshell County, MT, Petroleum County, MT, Phillips County, MT, and Wheatland County, MT.

United States Montana

Population & Diversity

Fergus County, MT is home to a population of 11.6k people, from which 99.6% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.74% of Fergus County, MT residents were born outside of the country (202 people).

In 2023, there were 49 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (10.7k people) in Fergus County, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 219 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 189 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.6%

2023 Citizenship

99.9%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.6% of Fergus County, MT residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Fergus County, MT was 99.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Fergus County, MT

White (Non-Hispanic)
10.7k ± 55
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
219 ± 84
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
189 ± 78.5

2.21%

Hispanic Population

256 people

2.21% of the people in Fergus County, MT are hispanic (256 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Fergus 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
3,689 ± 1,489 people
Mexico
2,900 ± 1,320 people
Germany
2,151 ± 1,138 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Montana was Canada, the natal country of 3,689 Montana residents, followed by Mexico with 2,900 and Germany with 2,151.

Foreign-Born Population

1.74%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

202 people

1.57%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

181 people

As of 2023, 1.74% of Fergus County, MT residents (202 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Fergus County, MT was 1.57%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
449 ± 108
Gulf War (2001-)
265 ± 129
Gulf War (1990s)
143 ± 71

Fergus County, MT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.69 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Fergus County, MT employs 5.65k people. The largest industries in Fergus County, MT are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (920 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (848 people), and Retail Trade (659 people), and the highest paying industries are Information ($85,944), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($67,083), and Construction ($62,005).

Males in Montana have an average income that is 1.32 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,691. The income inequality in Montana (measured using the Gini index) is 0.463, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

5.65k

2023 Value

± 484

1 Year growth

± 12.3%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Fergus County, MT grew at a rate of 1%, from 5.59k employees to 5.65k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Fergus County, MT, are Management Occupations (990 people), Sales & Related Occupations (601 people), and Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations (474 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Fergus County, MT.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

5.65k

2023 Value

± 484

1 Year growth

± 12.3%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Fergus County, MT grew at a rate of 1%, from 5.59k employees to 5.65k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Fergus County, MT, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (920 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (848 people), and Retail Trade (659 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Fergus County, MT, though some of these residents may live in Fergus County, MT and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,062

Median earning men ± $4,064

$34,774

Median earning women ± $2,747

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Construction ($65,645), Public Administration ($51,500), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($46,288).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($61,115), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($50,288), and Public Administration ($50,208).

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

55
Construction
37
Other Services (except Public Administration)
25
Retail Trade

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$39.7k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$28.2k
Construction
$21.8k
Manufacturing

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

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Fergus County, MT went to Donald J. Trump with 74.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (23%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (2.18%).

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

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (74.8%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (23%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (2.18%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Fergus County, MT went to Donald J. Trump with 74.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (23%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (2.18%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Fergus County, MT for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Montana

Montana is currently represented by 2 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Montana have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.324% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.29% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (252k), Some college (211k), and Bachelors Degree (180k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Fergus County, MT was $202,700 in 2023, which is 0.668 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $175,800 to $202,700, a 15.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Fergus County, MT is 66%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

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

In 2023, 14.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Fergus County, MT. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 2.75%.

Housing

Property

$202,700

Median Property Value 2023

±$23,646

$3,433

Median Property Taxes

±$367

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 Fergus 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 Fergus County, MT compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

66%

Homeownership

2023

66.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 66% of the housing units in Fergus County, MT were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 67.3%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Census Tract 301

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

The following map shows all of the tracts in Fergus County, MT colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$59,731

Median Household Income

± $5,717

5.2k

Number of Households

± 465

In 2023, the median household income of the 5.2k households in Fergus County, MT grew to $59,731 from the previous year's value of $58,321.

The following chart displays the households in Fergus 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 Fergus County, MT is from Montana.

0.463

2022 Wage GINI in Montana

0.463

2021 Wage GINI in Montana

In 2022, the income inequality in Montana was 0.463 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0827% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Montana was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (61.6%)
Worked At Home (16.2%)
Carpooled (9.79%)

In 2023, 61.6% of workers in Fergus County, MT drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (16.2%) and those who carpooled to work (9.79%).

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 Fergus County, MT have a shorter commute time (18.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.95% of the workforce in Fergus County, MT have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Fergus 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 Fergus County, MT distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Fergus County, MT have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 14.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Fergus County, MT. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 2.75%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

14.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Fergus County, MT (1.68k out of 11.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 6 - 11, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Fergus County, 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 15.4% of the children was living in poverty in Fergus County, MT. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.1%.

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.

Health

84.9% of the population of Fergus County, MT has health coverage, with 31.2% on employee plans, 17.9% on Medicaid, 16.3% on Medicare, 17.1% on non-group plans, and 2.42% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Fergus County, MT see 1388 patients per year on average, which represents a 13% increase from the previous year (1228 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1056 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 363 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,388 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Fergus County, MT

Primary care physicians in Fergus County, MT see an average of 1,388 patients per year. This represents a 13% increase from the previous year (1,228 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.3% under 18 years, 16.8% between 18 and 34 years, 36.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 24.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

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

Uninsured People

15.1%

Uninsured

31.2%

Employer Coverage

17.9%

Medicaid

16.3%

Medicare

17.1%

Non-Group

2.42%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Fergus County, MT grew by 7.15% from 14.1% to 15.1%.

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