Pondera County, MT

County

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2024 Population

6,035

US Senator

Steve Daines

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Sheehy

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

1.94% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

21.9%

3.98% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$52,338

2.17% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$206,100

15% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

2,619

2.07% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Pondera 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.

99.2% of the residents in Pondera County, MT are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Pondera County, MT was $206,100, and the homeownership rate was 67.7%.

Most people in Pondera County, MT drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Pondera County, MT was 2 cars per household.

Pondera County, MT borders Chouteau County, MT, Flathead County, MT, Glacier County, MT, Liberty County, MT, Teton County, MT, and Toole County, MT.

United States Montana

Population & Diversity

Pondera County, MT is home to a population of 6.04k people, from which 99.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.76% of Pondera County, MT residents were born outside of the country (106 people).

In 2024, there were 5.41 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.76k people) in Pondera County, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 880 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 141 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.2%

2024 Citizenship

99.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.2% of Pondera County, MT residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Pondera County, MT was 99.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Pondera County, MT

White (Non-Hispanic)
4.76k ± 30
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
880 ± 60
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
141 ± 57

2.55%

Hispanic Population

154 people

2.55% of the people in Pondera County, MT are hispanic (154 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Pondera 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
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

1.76%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

106 people

1.68%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

101 people

As of 2024, 1.76% of Pondera County, MT residents (106 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 Pondera County, MT was 1.68%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
147 ± 44
Gulf War (2001-)
119 ± 54
Gulf War (1990s)
37 ± 25

Pondera County, MT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.24 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Pondera County, MT employs 2.62k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Pondera County, MT were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (511 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (349 people), and Retail Trade (259 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($86,250), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($67,697), and Public Administration ($54,620).

Employment

Occupations

2.62k

2024 Value

± 238

2.07%

1 Year growth

± 12.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Pondera County, MT grew at a rate of 2.07%, from 2.57k employees to 2.62k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Pondera County, MT, are Management Occupations (480 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (228 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (200 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Pondera 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

2.62k

2024 Value

± 238

2.07%

1 Year growth

± 12.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Pondera County, MT grew at a rate of 2.07%, from 2.57k employees to 2.62k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Pondera County, MT, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (511 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (349 people), and Retail Trade (259 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Pondera County, MT, though some of these residents may live in Pondera County, MT and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$37,717

Median earning men ± $7,773

$34,963

Median earning women ± $1,918

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($58,750), Manufacturing ($57,788), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($48,438).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($60,417), Public Administration ($53,043), and Retail Trade ($43,618).

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

19
Construction
16
Other Services (except Public Administration)
12
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

$9.24k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$7.06k
Retail Trade
$5.18k
Construction

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 Pondera 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 Pondera County, MT was $206,100 in 2024, which is 0.619 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $179,200 to $206,100, a 15% increase. The homeownership rate in Pondera County, MT is 67.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Pondera County, MT have an average commute time of 19.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Pondera County, MT is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Pondera County, MT. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.04%.

Housing

Property

$206,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$21,406

$1,536

Median Property Taxes

±$165

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

Rent vs Own

67.7%

Homeownership

2024

63.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 67.7% of the housing units in Pondera County, MT were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Pondera 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.

$52,338

Median Household Income

± $4,638

2.27k

Number of Households

± 206

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.27k households in Pondera County, MT declined from $52,338 from the previous year's value of $53,500.

The following chart displays the households in Pondera 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 Pondera County, 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 (69.6%)
Walked (11%)
Worked At Home (9.64%)

In 2024, 69.6% of workers in Pondera County, MT drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (11%) and those who worked at home (9.64%).

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

19.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Pondera County, MT have a shorter commute time (19.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.64% of the workforce in Pondera County, MT have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Pondera County, MT. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.04%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

21.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Pondera County, MT (1.3k out of 5.93k 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 Pondera 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 2025, 21.9% of the children was living in poverty in Pondera County, MT. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.3%.

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 105 in Pondera County, MT. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 55.1 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

91.8% of the population of Pondera County, MT has health coverage, with 26.8% on employee plans, 35.2% on Medicaid, 15.4% on Medicare, 11.7% on non-group plans, and 2.73% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Pondera County, MT see 1,998 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,998 patients). Compare this to dentists who see null patients per year, and mental health providers who see 471 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.7% were men and 49.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,998 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Pondera County, MT

Primary care physicians in Pondera County, MT see an average of 1,998 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,998 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.9% under 18 years, 17.1% between 18 and 34 years, 36.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 21% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.7% were men and 49.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.15%

Uninsured

26.8%

Employer Coverage

35.2%

Medicaid

15.4%

Medicare

11.7%

Non-Group

2.73%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Pondera County, MT grew by 6.56% from 7.65% to 8.15%.

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