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COUNTY

Sanders County

Montana · 14,062 residents (2025 est.) · 2,760.4 sq mi
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#71Oldest by median ageof 3,14454.6#113Fastest growingof 3,135+13.4%
The short version

Sanders County has notably lower household income than the US average, with a median household income of $57,476. Population has grown 30% since 2000. 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 36%. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $359,000. With a median age of 54.6, the population is older than the US median of 38.9.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 54.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 119%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
13,285
+30%since 2000
from 10,227 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
5 / sq mi
+21%since 2009
from 4 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
54.6
+24%since 2000
from 44.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:14,062 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
8K10K11K12K14K1990201020202024Sanders County
202413K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 53.9%(513)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.4%(590)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.2%(695)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.1%(942)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 243.6%(472)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 346.4%(855)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 449.3%(1,231)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.6%(1,410)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6416.5%(2,193)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7420.3%(2,694)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 849.9%(1,313)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.8%(377)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$57,476
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,852 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$32,019
+119%since 2000
from $14,593 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
38.5%
+25.5 ptssince 2009
from 13.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
15.4%
−1.8 ptssince 2000
from 17.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.445
+5%since 2010
from 0.422 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Wholesale trade11.7%
US avg: 6.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing11.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction9.8%
US avg: 1.2%
Finance & insurance7.9%
US avg: 5.9%
Information7.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade7.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services2.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Public administration1.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Manufacturing1.4%
US avg: 0.4%
Education & health services1.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$359,000
+119%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $89,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$820
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $390 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
81.3%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 76.4% in 2000
18.7% rent
Vacancy rate
19.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 19.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
21.9%
−10.4 ptssince 2009
from 32.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
50.8%
+3.8 ptssince 2009
from 46.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.2
+19%since 2009
from 5.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
78
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Sanders County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic90.9%(9,299)
Black0.1%(13)
Hispanic / Latino1.6%(159)
Asian0.3%(31)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic88.3%(11,730)
Black0.2%(33)
Hispanic / Latino3.5%(466)
Asian0.5%(60)
Other7.5%(996)
Diversity Score
27
+23%since 2009
from 22 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
22
−35%since 2020
from 33 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican1.5%(205)
Spaniard0.4%(49)
Puerto Rican0.3%(39)
Cuban0.3%(38)
Salvadoran0.1%(11)
Asian origin
Korean0.3%(39)
Vietnamese0.1%(10)
Filipino0.1%(8)
Thai0%(1)
Pacific Islander origin
Guamanian0.1%(8)
Fijian0%(5)
Samoan0%(4)
Ancestry
German22.6%(3,004)
English13.4%(1,775)
Irish12.5%(1,655)
American7.7%(1,022)
Norwegian7.5%(993)
Dutch3.6%(479)
Scotch-Irish3.1%(417)
Polish2.9%(383)
Swedish2.5%(326)
French2.3%(303)
Italian2.3%(301)
Scottish1.4%(192)
+ 25 more ancestry groups with data
British1%(139)
Swiss0.5%(73)
Lithuanian0.5%(70)
Danish0.5%(67)
Welsh0.4%(49)
Austrian0.3%(43)
Russian0.3%(40)
Finnish0.3%(39)
Armenian0.3%(38)
Hungarian0.2%(24)
Slovak0.2%(21)
Portuguese0.1%(18)
Greek0.1%(14)
West Indian0.1%(14)
Haitian0.1%(14)
Czech0.1%(11)
Serbian0.1%(7)
Slovene0%(3)
Belgian0%(2)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Norwegian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
21.5%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 15.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
91.7%
+10.5 ptssince 2000
from 81.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
6.4%
+1.8 ptssince 2000
from 4.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.0 min
+26%since 2000
from 17.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
64.6%
−6.1 ptssince 2009
from 70.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
10.2%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 12.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
15.2%
+5.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
6.7%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.2%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.5%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.0%
−4.6 ptssince 2011
from 10.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
42.0%
−11.0 ptssince 2011
from 53.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
12.2%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
32.8%
−28.5 ptssince 2009
from 61.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
51.0%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 50.1% in 2009
Female
49.0%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
Foreign born
1.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
13.4%
−35.9 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
23.0%
+1.8 ptssince 2012
from 21.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
13.7%
−62.1 ptssince 2013
from 75.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
87.8%
+22.6 ptssince 2017
from 65.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
94.4%
−2.6 ptssince 2016
from 97.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
1.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2016
from 1.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married23.8%(1,398)
Married54.1%(3,178)
Widowed8.5%(497)
Divorced13.6%(800)
Women 15+
Never married16.8%(944)
Married60.1%(3,373)
Widowed10.1%(566)
Divorced13%(731)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Sanders County

Shoshone County
Pop 14,130
Clay County
Pop 14,207
Lawrence County
Pop 13,790
Towns County
Pop 13,285
Places similar to Sanders County
Head to head

Compare Sanders County to nearby counties

SANDERS COUNTY VS
Shoshone County
Income$55,527−3%
Home value$267,400−26%
Population14,130same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SANDERS COUNTY VS
Mineral County
Income$63,450+10%
Home value$364,300+1%
Population5,185−63%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SANDERS COUNTY VS
Lake County
Income$63,360+10%
Home value$421,800+17%
Population33,392+137%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SANDERS COUNTY VS
Lincoln County
Income$47,143−18%
Home value$296,500−17%
Population22,328+59%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Sanders County, Montana?

Sanders County, Montana has about 13,285 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Sanders County, Montana?

The typical household in Sanders County, Montana earns about $57,476 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Sanders County, Montana expensive?

In Sanders County, Montana, the median home is worth about $359,000, and the typical rent is about $820 a month.

How educated are people in Sanders County, Montana?

About 21.5% of adults age 25 and over in Sanders County, Montana hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Sanders County, Montana?

About 15.4% of people in Sanders County, Montana live below the federal poverty line.

Has Sanders County, Montana grown since 1990?

Yes, Sanders County, Montana has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,616 residents, a change of about 53 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

4 census tracts
Census Tract 2.02Census Tract 1Census Tract 2.01Census Tract 9403
9 ZIP codes
ZIP 59859ZIP 59873ZIP 59874ZIP 59845ZIP 59853ZIP 59844ZIP 59831ZIP 59856ZIP 59848
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →