Plains, MT

Census Place

2024 Population

1,195

US Senator

Steve Daines

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Sheehy

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

43.3

0.46% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

31.2%

63.1% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$25,491

3.37% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

Population & Diversity

Plains, MT is home to a population of 1.2k people, from which 100% are citizens.

As of 2024, 1.92% of Plains, MT residents were born outside of the country (23 people).

In 2024, there were 11.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (988 people) in Plains, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 85 White (Hispanic) and 58 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

100%

2024 Citizenship

99.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 100% of Plains, MT residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Plains, MT was 99.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Plains, MT

White (Non-Hispanic)
988 ± 232
White (Hispanic)
85 ± 75
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
58 ± 44

7.11%

Hispanic Population

85 people

7.11% of the people in Plains, MT are hispanic (85 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Plains, 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

1.92%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

23 people

2.14%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

23 people

As of 2024, 1.92% of Plains, MT residents (23 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 Plains, MT was 2.14%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
69 ± 48
Korea
10 ± 20

Plains, MT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 6.9 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Plains, MT employs 515 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Plains, MT were Retail Trade (115 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (110 people), and Construction (100 people), and the highest paying industries were Accommodation & Food Services ($60,795), Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($60,795), and Public Administration ($41,645).

Employment

Occupations

515

2024 Value

± 162

1.98%

1 Year growth

± 45.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Plains, MT grew at a rate of 1.98%, from 505 employees to 515 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Plains, MT, are Production Occupations (105 people), Sales & Related Occupations (82 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (55 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Plains, 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

515

2024 Value

± 162

1.98%

1 Year growth

± 45.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Plains, MT grew at a rate of 1.98%, from 505 employees to 515 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Plains, MT, are Retail Trade (115 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (110 people), and Construction (100 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Plains, MT, though some of these residents may live in Plains, MT and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,107

Median earning men ± $17,035

$26,532

Median earning women ± $11,135

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($60,795), Public Administration ($42,171), and Construction ($37,656).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($38,889).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Plains, MT was $248,300 in 2024, which is 0.746 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $209,200 to $248,300, a 18.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Plains, MT is 53.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Plains, MT have an average commute time of 15 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Plains, MT is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$248,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$118,802

$335

Median Property Taxes

±$107

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 Plains, MT the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

53.1%

Homeownership

2024

69.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 53.1% of the housing units in Plains, MT were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 50.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Plains, 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.

$25,491

Median Household Income

± $8,554

631

Number of Households

± 175

In 2024, the median household income of the 631 households in Plains, MT grew to $25,491 from the previous year's value of $24,661.

The following chart displays the households in Plains, 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 $10k - $15k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Plains, 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 (51.8%)
Carpooled (15.9%)
Worked At Home (15.9%)

In 2024, 51.8% of workers in Plains, MT drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (15.9%) and those who worked at home (15.9%).

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

15 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Plains, MT have a shorter commute time (15 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.77% of the workforce in Plains, MT have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

31.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Plains, MT (367 out of 1.18k 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 Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Plains, MT is White, followed by Hispanic 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.

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.

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