County profile

Powell County

Montana · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
7,053
Median household income
$66,923
People below poverty
5.6%
Median home value
$306,500

Income

The median income of households in Powell County, Montana was $66,923. An estimated 2.5% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 3% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 2.5
$10,000 to $14,999 2.6
$15,000 to $24,999 6.6
$25,000 to $34,999 9.4
$35,000 to $49,999 17
$50,000 to $74,999 18.2
$75,000 to $99,999 14.7
$100,000 to $149,999 17.9
$150,000 to $199,999 8.1
$200,000 or more 3

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 51168
Female 46339

An estimated 67.3% of households received earnings. An estimated 41.9% of households received Social Security and an estimated 27.9 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $26,497. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 67.3
Social Security 41.9
Retirement income 27.9
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 7.5
Cash public assistance income 0.7

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 5.6 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 5.8% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 5.6% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 5.4% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 5.6
Children under 18 years below poverty 5.8
People 65 years old and over below poverty 5.6
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 5.4

In 2020-2024, 6.7 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 35.6% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 53.4% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 15.3% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024, 93.6% had health insurance coverage and 6.4% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 62.3% and public coverage was 46.6%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 14.6%.


In 2020-2024, Powell County, Montana had a total population of 7,053 - 2,468 (35%) females and 4,585 (65%) males. The median age was 45.8 years. An estimated 13.3% of the population was under 18 years, 33.7% was 19 to 44 years, 30.5% was 45 to 64 years, and 20.9 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 145 84
5 to 9 132 115
10 to 14 151 139
15 to 19 168 118
20 to 24 240 110
25 to 29 426 107
30 to 34 332 107
35 to 39 450 125
40 to 44 297 182
45 to 49 417 136
50 to 54 345 142
55 to 59 396 125
60 to 64 303 289
65 to 69 274 166
70 to 74 223 226
75 to 79 113 131
80 to 84 96 132
85 and over 77 34

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 87.2% were White; 0.4% were Black or African American; 8.4% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 1.5% were Asian; 0.4% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 4.8% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 2.7% of the people in Powell County, Montana were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 86.8% of the people in Powell County, Montana were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 2,432 households in Powell County, Montana. The average household size was 2.22 people.

Married-couple households made up 55.6% of the households in Powell County, Montana while cohabiting couple households made up 6.2% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 15.4% of all households, while 22.9% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 19% of households were male householders living alone, and 11.4% were female householders living alone, for a total of 30.4% of all households.

In Powell County, Montana, 18.9% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 38.7% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 55.6
Cohabiting Couples 6.2
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
22.9
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
15.4

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 42.4% of males and 63.6% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 35.1 16.3
Now married, except separated 42.4 63.6
Separated 2.3 0.4
Widowed 2.9 7.8
Divorced 17.3 11.8

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Powell County, Montana, 18 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 100% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 97.7% of the people living in Powell County, Montana were U.S. natives. 51.9% of the Powell County, Montana population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 2.3% of Powell County, Montana residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 81.2% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 75.2 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Powell County, Montana come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Powell County, Montana.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 12.7
Asia 63
Europe 10.9
Africa 3.6
Northern America 9.7
Oceania 0

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024, 4.2 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 0.6% of people at least five years old; 0.3% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 0.6
Other Indo-European languages 1.8
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 1.4
Other languages 0.4

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 82.8 % of the people at least one year old living in Powell County, Montana were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 82.8
Different house, same county 3.4
Different county, same state 10.3
Different state 3.3
Abroad 0.2

Education

In 2020-2024, 93.6 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 19.3% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 6.4% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Powell County, Montana was 831 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 3 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 675. College or graduate school enrollment was 153.

Educational Attainment of People in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 6.4
High school diploma or equivalency 46.1
Some college, no degree 20.7
Associate's degree 7.5
Bachelor's degree 14
Graduate or professional degree 5.2

Disability

In Powell County, Montana, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 21.9 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 3.6% of people under 18 years old, to 18.4% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 42% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Powell County, Montana, 40.8 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 58.2% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 67.1% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 28% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 4.9 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 1,702 67.1
Federal, state, or local government workers 711 28
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 124 4.9

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Powell County, Montana worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 10.3
Construction 7.6
Manufacturing 4.6
Wholesale trade 0
Retail trade 11
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 3.9
Information 0.2
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 2.3
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 5.7
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 20.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 13.5
Other Services, except public administration 2.1
Public administration 18.2

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 1,113 43.9
Service occupations 531 20.9
Sales and office occupations 402 15.8
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 229 9
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 262 10.3

Commuting to Work

An estimated 74.9% of Powell County, Montana workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 11% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 18.1 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 74.9
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 11
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0.5
Walked 3.1
Other means 1.1
Worked from home 9.4

In 2020-2024, Powell County, Montana had a total of 3,006 housing units. Of these housing units, 79% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 7.8% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 11.9% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 79
Apartments in multi-unit structures 7.8
Mobile homes 11.9
Boat, RV, van, etc 1.2

6.6% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 18.6% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Powell County, Montana was 5.9 rooms, and of these housing units 58% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Powell County, Montana had 2,432 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 574 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 72.5% while renters occupied 27.5%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.29 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.02.

3% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 14.6% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 2.4% and another 36.6% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Powell County, Montana:

House Heating Fuel Used in Powell County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 61.8
Electricity 20.7
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 0.4
All other fuels 16.9
No fuel used 0

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Powell County, Montana was $306,500.

Of the owner-occupied households, 48 % had a mortgage. 52% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,568 and for owners without a mortgage it was $561.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Powell County, Montana was $820. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.