Lake County, MT

County

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2023 Population

32,073

1.79% 1-year growth

US Senator

N/ASteve Daines

Republican Party

US Senator

N/ATim Sheehy

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

43.8

0.229% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

17.7%

6.71% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$61,965

6.82% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$369,200

9.33% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

13,421

0.789% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Lake County, MT had a population of 32.1k people with a median age of 43.8 and a median household income of $61,965. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Lake County, MT grew from 31,509 to 32,073, a 1.79% increase and its median household income grew from $58,009 to $61,965, a 6.82% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Lake County, MT are White (Non-Hispanic) (64.5%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (20.1%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (10.2%), Two+ (Hispanic) (1.44%), and White (Hispanic) (1.14%).

None of the households in Lake 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.

98.9% of the residents in Lake County, MT are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lake County, MT are Salish Kootenai College (136 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2023, the median property value in Lake County, MT was $369,200, and the homeownership rate was 73.8%.

Most people in Lake County, MT drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Lake County, MT was 2 cars per household.

Lake County, MT borders Flathead County, MT, Missoula County, MT, and Sanders County, MT.

About the photo: Mission Mountains from Red Sleep Mountain, National Bison Range, near St. Ignatius, MT

Photo by Keith Ewing

United States Montana

Population & Diversity

Lake County, MT is home to a population of 32.1k people, from which 98.9% are citizens. As of 2023, 2.32% of Lake County, MT residents were born outside of the country (743 people).

In 2023, there were 3.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (20.7k people) in Lake County, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.46k American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 3.26k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.9%

2023 Citizenship

98.7%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.9% of Lake County, MT residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Lake County, MT was 98.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lake County, MT

White (Non-Hispanic)
20.7k ± 236
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
6.46k ± 439
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
3.26k ± 508

4.17%

Hispanic Population

1.34k people

4.17% of the people in Lake County, MT are hispanic (1.34k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Lake 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

2.32%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

743 people

2.5%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

787 people

As of 2023, 2.32% of Lake County, MT residents (743 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 Lake County, MT was 2.5%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,198 ± 157
Gulf War (2001-)
539 ± 162
Gulf War (1990s)
302 ± 79

Lake County, MT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.22 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Lake County, MT employs 13.4k people. The largest industries in Lake County, MT are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,074 people), Retail Trade (1,628 people), and Educational Services (1,326 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($100,556), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($85,179), and Information ($63,377).

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

13.4k

2023 Value

± 681

0.789%

1 Year growth

± 7.25%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Lake County, MT grew at a rate of 0.789%, from 13.3k employees to 13.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lake County, MT, are Management Occupations (1,624 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,488 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,275 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lake 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

13.4k

2023 Value

± 681

0.789%

1 Year growth

± 7.25%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Lake County, MT grew at a rate of 0.789%, from 13.3k employees to 13.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lake County, MT, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,074 people), Retail Trade (1,628 people), and Educational Services (1,326 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lake County, MT, though some of these residents may live in Lake County, MT and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,644

Median earning men ± $3,928

$31,339

Median earning women ± $2,259

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($99,706), Information ($82,177), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($71,989).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($125,833), Information ($60,556), and Public Administration ($58,824).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for N/A.

Y-Axis

N/A%

Year-over-year N/A

Employment change between N/A N/A and N/A N/A

As of N/A N/A, there are N/A people employed in N/A. This represents a N/A% N/A in employment when compared to N/A N/A.

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

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in N/A.

Establishments by Size

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.

Civics

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.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Montana

N/ASteve Daines

Senator from Montana

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

N/ATim 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.

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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

In 2022, universities in Lake County, MT awarded 136 degrees. The student population of Lake County, MT in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 177 male students and 442 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lake County, MT are American Indian or Alaska Native (92 and 67.6%), followed by White (41 and 30.1%), Asian (1 and 0.735%), and Black or African American (1 and 0.735%).

The largest universities in Lake County, MT by number of degrees awarded are Salish Kootenai College (136 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Lake County, MT are Registered Nursing (21 and 15.4%), General Psychology (12 and 8.82%), and Dental Assisting (12 and 8.82%).

The median tuition cost in Lake County, MT for a public four year colleges is $5,076 for in-state students and $10,260 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 619 students enrolled in Lake County, MT, 28.6% men and 71.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in American Indian or Alaska Native with 453 records, of which 70.2% were women and 29.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
18 degrees awarded
General Psychology
7 degrees awarded
Web Page, Digital, & Information Resource Design
5 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Lake County, MT was Registered Nursing with 18 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Lake County, MT according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Salish Kootenai College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

136 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Salish Kootenai College with 136 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 41 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lake County, MT, which is 0.432 times less than the 95 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was American Indian or Alaska Native students. These 92 degrees mean that there were 2.24 times more degrees awarded to American Indian or Alaska Native students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 41 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 4-year or above ($5,076) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,323) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,500) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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 Lake County, MT was $369,200 in 2023, which is 1.22 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $337,700 to $369,200, a 9.33% increase. The homeownership rate in Lake County, MT is 73.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Lake County, MT have an average commute time of 21.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lake County, MT is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Lake County, MT is $61,965. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Lake County, MT was Census Tract 1 with a value of $84,522, followed by Census Tract 2 and Census Tract 9407, with respective values of $82,017 and $66,382.

In 2023, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lake County, MT. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2.44%.

Housing

Property

$369,200

Median Property Value 2023

±$18,999

$8,985

Median Property Taxes

±$486

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 Lake County, MT the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

73.8%

Homeownership

2023

68%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 73.8% of the housing units in Lake County, MT were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 71.9%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 1
Census Tract 2
Census Tract 9407

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Lake County, MT was Census Tract 1 with a value of $84,522, followed by Census Tract 2 and Census Tract 9407, with respective values of $82,017 and $66,382.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Lake 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.

$61,965

Median Household Income

± $2,758

12.2k

Number of Households

± 591

In 2023, the median household income of the 12.2k households in Lake County, MT grew to $61,965 from the previous year's value of $58,009.

The following chart displays the households in Lake 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 Lake 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 (71.6%)
Carpooled (11.8%)
Worked At Home (11.1%)

In 2023, 71.6% of workers in Lake County, MT drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.8%) and those who worked at home (11.1%).

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

21.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lake County, MT have a shorter commute time (21.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.96% of the workforce in Lake County, MT have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lake County, MT. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2.44%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

17.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lake County, MT (5.61k out of 31.7k 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 25 - 34, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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, 20.6% of the children was living in poverty in Lake County, MT. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 10.7%.

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.

Health

85.9% of the population of Lake County, MT has health coverage, with 27.9% on employee plans, 23.2% on Medicaid, 17.3% on Medicare, 14.6% on non-group plans, and 2.92% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Lake County, MT see 1408 patients per year on average, which represents a 15.6% increase from the previous year (1218 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1232 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 377 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,408 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Lake County, MT

Primary care physicians in Lake County, MT see an average of 1,408 patients per year. This represents a 15.6% increase from the previous year (1,218 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.5% under 18 years, 16.8% between 18 and 34 years, 36.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 23.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

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

Uninsured People

14.1%

Uninsured

27.9%

Employer Coverage

23.2%

Medicaid

17.3%

Medicare

14.6%

Non-Group

2.92%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lake County, MT declined by 8.43% from 15.4% to 14.1%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 91.3 in Lake County, MT.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lake County, MT.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 32.4% in Lake County, MT.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Lake County, MT.