Musselshell County, Montana

MT · FIPS 30065 Republican

Located in Montana, Musselshell County has a population of 5,152 residents and a median age of 51.3 years, making it the #2,887 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.0%. The median home value is $235,000, and the median household income is $58,920, which is 22% below the national median.

5,152
Population
#2,887 of 3,222
$58,920
Median Income
-21.6% #2,178 of 3,222
51.3 years
Median Age
+31.9% #163 of 3,222
17.0%
Poverty Rate
+35.1% #2,301 of 3,222

Demographics

Musselshell County has a population of 5,152, making it the #2,887 most populous county in the US. The median age is 51.3 years, which is 31.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.3%
Native Born
1.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Musselshell County is $58,920, ranking #2,178 out of 3,222 counties — 21.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.0% and unemployment stands at 9.2%.

Income#2,178
$58,920
-21.6%
vs nation
32th percentile
Per Capita#1,855
$33,460
-18.9%
vs nation
42th percentile
Poverty#2,301
17.0%
+35.1%
vs nation
29th percentile
Unemployment#3,046
9.2%
+74.0%
vs nation
5th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Musselshell County is $235,000 (-16.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,138/mo and the homeownership rate is 85.1%.

Home Value#1,036
$235,000
-16.6%
vs nation
68th percentile
Rent#644
$1,138
-2.1%
vs nation
80th percentile
Homeownership#118
85.1%
+32.1%
vs nation
96th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Musselshell County, 22.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 33.7% below the national average, ranking #1,605 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
22.4% −33.7% vs nation
Rank #1,605 of 3,222
50th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Musselshell County is 76.2 years. 17.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,221
76.2
+1.3%
vs nation
60th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,242
17.6%
-10.0%
vs nation
61th percentile
Diabetes#209
8.2%
-26.3%
vs nation
93th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#898
34.8%
-6.7%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,592
5.7
+0.1%
vs nation
49th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,433
4.3
-2.4%
vs nation
54th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,075
11.7%
+11.6%
vs nation
34th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,004
23.7%
-10.2%
vs nation
68th percentile
Food Insecurity#760
11.8%
-18.1%
vs nation
76th percentile

Substance Use

17.8% of adults in Musselshell County smoke , 33.3% are obese , and 23.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,602
17.8%
-0.9%
vs nation
49th percentile
Adult Obesity#484
33.3%
-12.2%
vs nation
85th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,741
23.4%
+17.8%
vs nation
13th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 51.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 40.2 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,540
51.8
+162.7%
vs nation
1th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,451
49.9
+179.2%
vs nation
1th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,707
40.2
+98.4%
vs nation
4th percentile

Families & Children

23.1% of children in Musselshell County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 16.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,076
16.5
-24.6%
vs nation
64th percentile
Child Poverty#2,321
23.1%
+21.6%
vs nation
26th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Musselshell County is 77.5%. The mean commute time is 28.5 min, which is 3.3% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
77.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.5 min +3.3% vs nation
Rank #1,159 of 3,222
64th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Musselshell County voted Republican with a margin of 71.6%. The vote was 13.1% Dem / 84.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +71.6%
13.1% 84.7%
Dem 3,012 votes Rep
2020 REP +69.8%
14.3% 84.1%
Dem 2,881 votes Rep
2016 REP +67.8%
13.8% 81.6%
Dem 2,404 votes Rep
2012 REP +55.7%
20.5% 76.2%
Dem 2,353 votes Rep
2008 REP +41.0%
27.6% 68.6%
Dem 2,306 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Musselshell County, Montana

Musselshell County, Montana has a total population of 5,152, making it the 2,887th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Musselshell County is 51.3 years, which is 31.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Musselshell County is $58,920, which ranks #2,178 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 21.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 9.2%.

The median home value in Musselshell County is $235,000, 16.6% below the national median. Renters in Musselshell County pay a median gross rent of $1,138 per month. The homeownership rate is 85.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Musselshell County, 22.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 33.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.5 min.

Musselshell County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 86.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.3%) and American Indian (non-Hispanic) (3.6%).

All data for Musselshell 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.