Custer County, Montana

MT · FIPS 30017 Republican

Located in Montana, Custer County has a population of 11,961 residents and a median age of 42.7 years, making it the #2,354 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.3%. The median home value is $219,100, and the median household income is $70,605, which is 6% below the national median.

11,961
Population
#2,354 of 3,222
$70,605
Median Income
-6.0% #1,157 of 3,222
42.7 years
Median Age
+9.8% #1,303 of 3,222
11.3%
Poverty Rate
-10.0% #1,100 of 3,222

Demographics

Custer County has a population of 11,961, making it the #2,354 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.7 years, which is 9.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.7%
Native Born
1.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Custer County is $70,605, ranking #1,157 out of 3,222 counties — 6.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.3% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.

Income#1,157
$70,605
-6.0%
vs nation
64th percentile
Per Capita#1,362
$36,392
-11.8%
vs nation
58th percentile
Poverty#1,100
11.3%
-10.0%
vs nation
66th percentile
Unemployment#945
3.4%
-35.1%
vs nation
71th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Custer County is $219,100 (-22.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $893/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.9%.

Home Value#1,203
$219,100
-22.3%
vs nation
63th percentile
Rent#1,480
$893
-23.2%
vs nation
54th percentile
Homeownership#2,306
69.9%
+8.5%
vs nation
28th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Custer County, 27.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 19.8% below the national average, ranking #1,009 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
27.0% −19.8% vs nation
Rank #1,009 of 3,222
69th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Custer County is 76.2 years. 15.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,207
76.2
+1.4%
vs nation
61th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#694
15.6%
-20.3%
vs nation
78th percentile
Diabetes#184
8.1%
-27.2%
vs nation
94th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#514
33.0%
-11.5%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#983
5.4
-5.0%
vs nation
69th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#760
3.9
-11.6%
vs nation
76th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,070
11.7%
+11.5%
vs nation
34th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,055
23.9%
-9.4%
vs nation
67th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,010
12.6%
-12.5%
vs nation
68th percentile

Substance Use

15.9% of adults in Custer County smoke , 35.8% are obese , and 26.2% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#916
15.9%
-11.5%
vs nation
71th percentile
Adult Obesity#870
35.8%
-5.6%
vs nation
72th percentile
Excessive Drinking#3,119
26.2%
+31.9%
vs nation
1th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 17.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,087
17.1
-13.1%
vs nation
58th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#758
13.4
-33.6%
vs nation
73th percentile

Families & Children

13.4% of children in Custer County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 20.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,484
20.1
-7.8%
vs nation
51th percentile
Child Poverty#843
13.4%
-29.4%
vs nation
73th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Custer County is 64.6%. The mean commute time is 14.5 min, which is 47.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
64.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
14.5 min −47.6% vs nation
Rank #3,175 of 3,222
1th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Custer County voted Republican with a margin of 48.7%. The vote was 23.9% Dem / 72.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +48.7%
23.9% 72.6%
Dem 5,797 votes Rep
2020 REP +45.8%
25.7% 71.5%
Dem 5,883 votes Rep
2016 REP +47.9%
22.8% 70.7%
Dem 5,145 votes Rep
2012 REP +28.6%
34.2% 62.8%
Dem 5,336 votes Rep
2008 REP +14.3%
41.6% 55.9%
Dem 5,452 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Custer County, Montana

Custer County, Montana has a total population of 11,961, making it the 2,354th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Custer County is 42.7 years, which is 9.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Custer County is $70,605, which ranks #1,157 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.

The median home value in Custer County is $219,100, 22.3% below the national median. Renters in Custer County pay a median gross rent of $893 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Custer County, 27.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 19.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 14.5 min.

Custer County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 89.0% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.4%).

All data for Custer County, Montana comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.