Sanders County, MT

County

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2023 Population

12,936

2.54% 1-year growth

US Senator

Steve Daines

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Sheehy

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

54.6

0.183% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

15.1%

7.63% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$54,035

14.7% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$323,800

13.5% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

4,418

7.26% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Sanders County, MT had a population of 12.9k people with a median age of 54.6 and a median household income of $54,035. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Sanders County, MT grew from 12,615 to 12,936, a 2.54% increase and its median household income grew from $47,110 to $54,035, a 14.7% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Sanders County, MT are White (Non-Hispanic) (89%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.14%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (2.37%), Two+ (Hispanic) (1.99%), and White (Hispanic) (0.781%).

None of the households in Sanders 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 Sanders County, MT are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Sanders County, MT was $323,800, and the homeownership rate was 80%.

Most people in Sanders County, MT drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Sanders County, MT was 2 cars per household.

Sanders County, MT borders Bonner County, ID, Shoshone County, ID, Flathead County, MT, Lake County, MT, Lincoln County, MT, Mineral County, MT, and Missoula County, MT.

About the photo: Flathead River, west of Dixon, MT

Photo by Keith Ewing

United States Montana

Population & Diversity

Sanders County, MT is home to a population of 12.9k people, from which 99.6% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.72% of Sanders County, MT residents were born outside of the country (222 people).

In 2023, there were 21.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (11.5k people) in Sanders County, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 536 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 307 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.6%

2023 Citizenship

99.6%

2022 Citizenship

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

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Sanders County, MT

White (Non-Hispanic)
11.5k ± 65
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
536 ± 105
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
307 ± 77

3.34%

Hispanic Population

432 people

3.34% of the people in Sanders County, MT are hispanic (432 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Sanders 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

1.72%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

222 people

0.888%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

112 people

As of 2023, 1.72% of Sanders County, MT residents (222 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 Sanders County, MT was 0.888%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
740 ± 159
Gulf War (1990s)
236 ± 97
Gulf War (2001-)
127 ± 59

Sanders County, MT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.14 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Sanders County, MT employs 4.42k people. The largest industries in Sanders County, MT are Health Care & Social Assistance (710 people), Construction (445 people), and Transportation & Warehousing (389 people), and the highest paying industries are Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($250,001), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($82,500), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,028).

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

4.42k

2023 Value

± 411

7.26%

1 Year growth

± 12.1%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Sanders County, MT grew at a rate of 7.26%, from 4.12k employees to 4.42k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sanders County, MT, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (496 people), Management Occupations (465 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (370 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sanders 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

4.42k

2023 Value

± 411

7.26%

1 Year growth

± 12.1%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Sanders County, MT grew at a rate of 7.26%, from 4.12k employees to 4.42k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sanders County, MT, are Health Care & Social Assistance (710 people), Construction (445 people), and Transportation & Warehousing (389 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sanders County, MT, though some of these residents may live in Sanders County, MT and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,471

Median earning men ± $4,343

$27,252

Median earning women ± $3,792

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($61,649), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($54,276), and Public Administration ($51,200).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($88,235), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,227), and Wholesale Trade ($53,819).

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

60
Construction
30
Retail Trade
24
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$22.4k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$12.2k
Manufacturing
$10.8k
Accommodation and Food Services

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

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Sanders County, MT went to Donald J. Trump with 74.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (23.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.86%).

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 (74.3%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (23.9%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.86%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Sanders 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 Sanders County, MT was $323,800 in 2023, which is 1.07 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $285,300 to $323,800, a 13.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Sanders County, MT is 80%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Sanders County, MT have an average commute time of 23.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sanders County, MT is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2023, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sanders County, MT. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2.9%.

Housing

Property

$323,800

Median Property Value 2023

±$27,668

$4,361

Median Property Taxes

±$423

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

Rent vs Own

80%

Homeownership

2023

69.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 80% of the housing units in Sanders County, MT were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 78%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Sanders 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 9403

The following map shows all of the tracts in Sanders 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.

$54,035

Median Household Income

± $5,623

5.45k

Number of Households

± 455

In 2023, the median household income of the 5.45k households in Sanders County, MT grew to $54,035 from the previous year's value of $47,110.

The following chart displays the households in Sanders 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 Sanders 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 (67.8%)
Worked At Home (14.5%)
Carpooled (9.6%)

In 2023, 67.8% of workers in Sanders County, MT drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.5%) and those who carpooled to work (9.6%).

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

23.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sanders County, MT have a shorter commute time (23.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 6.46% of the workforce in Sanders County, MT have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sanders County, MT. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2.9%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

15.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sanders County, MT (1.92k out of 12.7k 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 Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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, 24.6% of the children was living in poverty in Sanders County, MT. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 13.7%.

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

86.6% of the population of Sanders County, MT has health coverage, with 24.2% on employee plans, 22.2% on Medicaid, 25.5% on Medicare, 11.8% on non-group plans, and 2.95% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Sanders County, MT see 1520 patients per year on average, which represents a 12.9% increase from the previous year (1346 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3240 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 360 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.4% were men and 48.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,520 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Sanders County, MT

Primary care physicians in Sanders County, MT see an average of 1,520 patients per year. This represents a 12.9% increase from the previous year (1,346 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.1% under 18 years, 12% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 32.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.4% were men and 48.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

13.4%

Uninsured

24.2%

Employer Coverage

22.2%

Medicaid

25.5%

Medicare

11.8%

Non-Group

2.95%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Sanders County, MT grew by 8.44% from 12.3% to 13.4%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Sanders 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 N/A in Sanders County, MT.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Sanders 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 30.9% in Sanders County, MT.

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