Prairie County, Montana

MT · FIPS 30079 Republican

Located in Montana, Prairie County has a population of 1,250 residents and a median age of 57.8 years, making it the #3,173 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.6%. The median home value is $165,700, and the median household income is $51,250, which is 32% below the national median.

1,250
Population
#3,173 of 3,222
$51,250
Median Income
-31.8% #2,704 of 3,222
57.8 years
Median Age
+48.6% #23 of 3,222
20.6%
Poverty Rate
+63.6% #2,725 of 3,222

Demographics

Prairie County has a population of 1,250, making it the #3,173 most populous county in the US. The median age is 57.8 years, which is 48.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.0%
Native Born
4.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Prairie County is $51,250, ranking #2,704 out of 3,222 counties — 31.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.6% and unemployment stands at 0.9%.

Income#2,704
$51,250
-31.8%
vs nation
16th percentile
Per Capita#1,438
$35,904
-13.0%
vs nation
55th percentile
Poverty#2,725
20.6%
+63.6%
vs nation
15th percentile
Unemployment#86
0.9%
-82.6%
vs nation
97th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Prairie County is $165,700 (-41.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $627/mo and the homeownership rate is 83.9%.

Home Value#1,898
$165,700
-41.2%
vs nation
41th percentile
Rent#2,997
$627
-46.1%
vs nation
7th percentile
Homeownership#183
83.9%
+30.2%
vs nation
94th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Prairie County, 26.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 20.1% below the national average, ranking #1,019 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
26.9% −20.1% vs nation
Rank #1,019 of 3,222
68th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

22.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Poor/Fair Health#2,411
22.9%
+17.1%
vs nation
23th percentile
Diabetes#1,324
10.3%
-7.5%
vs nation
58th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#714
34.0%
-8.9%
vs nation
77th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,170
5.9
+5.1%
vs nation
31th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,367
4.9
+10.1%
vs nation
25th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,604
14.6%
+39.2%
vs nation
17th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,963
27.8%
+5.4%
vs nation
38th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,153
16.0%
+11.1%
vs nation
32th percentile

Substance Use

21.1% of adults in Prairie County smoke , 36.5% are obese , and 21.1% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,528
21.1%
+17.5%
vs nation
20th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,024
36.5%
-3.7%
vs nation
68th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,031
21.1%
+6.1%
vs nation
35th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

18.4% of children in Prairie County live in poverty .

Child Poverty#1,661
18.4%
-3.1%
vs nation
47th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Prairie County is 86.5%. The mean commute time is 20.1 min, which is 27.1% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
86.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.1 min −27.1% vs nation
Rank #2,799 of 3,222
13th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Prairie County voted Republican with a margin of 61.7%. The vote was 17.7% Dem / 79.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +2.4 toward Democrats .

2024 REP +61.7%
17.7% 79.4%
Dem 688 votes Rep
2020 REP +64.1%
16.9% 81%
Dem 744 votes Rep
2016 REP +66.3%
14.6% 80.9%
Dem 686 votes Rep
2012 REP +50.1%
23.8% 73.9%
Dem 701 votes Rep
2008 REP +39.7%
28.7% 68.4%
Dem 735 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Prairie County, Montana

Prairie County, Montana has a total population of 1,250, making it the 3,173rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Prairie County is 57.8 years, which is 48.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Prairie County is $51,250, which ranks #2,704 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 0.9%.

The median home value in Prairie County is $165,700, 41.2% below the national median. Renters in Prairie County pay a median gross rent of $627 per month. The homeownership rate is 83.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Prairie County, 26.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 20.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.1 min.

Prairie County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.1% of the population, followed by Other (non-Hispanic) (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).

All data for Prairie 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.