Polson, MT

Census Place

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2024 Population
5,428
US Senator
Steve Daines
Republican Party
US Senator
Tim Sheehy
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
43
0.233% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
17.5%
12.5% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$53,418
3.8% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$356,300
11% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
2,228
2.02% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Polson, 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.

98.1% of the residents in Polson, MT are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Polson, MT was $356,300, and the homeownership rate was 54.6%.

Most people in Polson, MT drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Polson, MT was 2 cars per household.

Population & Diversity

Polson, MT is home to a population of 5.43k people, from which 98.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.39% of Polson, MT residents were born outside of the country (130 people).

In 2024, there were 5.64 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.66k people) in Polson, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 649 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 459 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

98.1%
2024 Citizenship
97.9%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.1% of Polson, MT residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Polson, MT was 97.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

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Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Polson, MT
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    3.66k ± 314
  2. American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
    649 ± 178
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    459 ± 260
7.65%
Hispanic Population
415 people

In 2024, there were 5.64 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.66k people) in Polson, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 649 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 459 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

7.65% of the people in Polson, MT are hispanic (415 people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Montana.
Most Common Origin
  1. Canada
    3,832 ± 1,517 people
  2. Mexico
    2,638 ± 1,259 people
  3. 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.

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Foreign-Born Population

2.39%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
130 people
2.74%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
146 people

As of 2024, 2.39% of Polson, MT residents (130 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 Polson, MT was 2.74%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    179 ± 83
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    169 ± 100
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    63 ± 52

Polson, MT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.06 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Polson, MT employs 2.23k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Polson, MT were Health Care & Social Assistance (420 people), Retail Trade (395 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (246 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($92,692), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($92,647), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($64,375).

Occupations

2.23k
2024 Value
± 335
−2.02%
1 Year decline
± 20.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polson, MT declined at a rate of −2.02%, from 2.27k employees to 2.23k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Polson, MT, are Management Occupations (328 people), Sales & Related Occupations (263 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (241 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Polson, MT.

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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.

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Employment by Industries

2.23k
2024 Value
± 335
−2.02%
1 Year decline
± 20.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Polson, MT declined at a rate of −2.02%, from 2.27k employees to 2.23k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Polson, MT, are Health Care & Social Assistance (420 people), Retail Trade (395 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (246 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Polson, MT, though some of these residents may live in Polson, MT and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$45,762
Median earning men ± $8,999
$40,735
Median earning women ± $6,104

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($70,938), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($64,643), and Public Administration ($50,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Other Services Except Public Administration ($63,571), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($62,188), and Public Administration ($57,898).

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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.

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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.

US Senators from Montana

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Montana.
Steve Daines
Senator from Montana2
Assumed office on January 3, 2015
Tim Sheehy
Senator from Montana1
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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Housing & Living

The median property value in Polson, MT was $356,300 in 2024, which is 1.07 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $321,000 to $356,300, a 11% increase. The homeownership rate in Polson, MT is 54.6%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Polson, MT have an average commute time of 19.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Polson, MT is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Property

$356,300
Median Property Value 2024
±$53,899
$1,299
Median Property Taxes
±$236

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 Polson, MT the largest share of households pay taxes in the $2k - $3k range.

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

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Rent vs Own

54.6%
Homeownership
2024
58.8%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 54.6% of the housing units in Polson, MT were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 52.6%.

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

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$53,418
Median Household Income
± $4,920
2.38k
Number of Households
± 324

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.38k households in Polson, MT grew to $53,418 from the previous year's value of $51,463.

The following chart displays the households in Polson, 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 $30k - $35k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Polson, 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.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (82%)
  2. Carpooled (6.61%)
  3. Worked At Home (4.88%)

In 2024, 82% of workers in Polson, MT drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (6.61%) and those who worked at home (4.88%).

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.

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Commute Time

19.7 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Polson, MT have a shorter commute time (19.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.76% of the workforce in Polson, MT have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty & Diversity

17.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Polson, MT (932 out of 5.34k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 35 - 44.

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

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Health

89.5% of the population of Polson, MT has health coverage, with 29.1% on employee plans, 24.5% on Medicaid, 19.2% on Medicare, 14.1% on non-group plans, and 2.57% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Montana see 1,200 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,200 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1350 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 250 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.2% were men and 55.8% were women.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.6% under 18 years, 19.1% between 18 and 34 years, 34.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 24.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.2% were men and 55.8% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

10.5%
Uninsured
29.1%
Employer Coverage
24.5%
Medicaid
19.2%
Medicare
14.1%
Non-Group
2.57%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Polson, MT declined by 30.1% from 15.1% to 10.5%.

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

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