Sanders County, Montana

MT · FIPS 30089 Republican

Located in Montana, Sanders County has a population of 13,285 residents and a median age of 54.6 years, making it the #2,269 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.4%. The median home value is $359,000, and the median household income is $57,476, which is 24% below the national median.

13,285
Population
#2,269 of 3,222
$57,476
Median Income
-23.5% #2,301 of 3,222
54.6 years
Median Age
+40.4% #71 of 3,222
15.4%
Poverty Rate
+22.6% #2,032 of 3,222

Demographics

Sanders County has a population of 13,285, making it the #2,269 most populous county in the US. The median age is 54.6 years, which is 40.4% 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 Sanders County is $57,476, ranking #2,301 out of 3,222 counties — 23.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.4% and unemployment stands at 6.0%.

Income#2,301
$57,476
-23.5%
vs nation
29th percentile
Per Capita#2,099
$32,019
-22.4%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poverty#2,032
15.4%
+22.6%
vs nation
37th percentile
Unemployment#2,513
6.0%
+12.3%
vs nation
22th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Sanders County is $359,000 (+27.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $820/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.3%.

Home Value#388
$359,000
+27.4%
vs nation
88th percentile
Rent#1,960
$820
-29.5%
vs nation
39th percentile
Homeownership#449
81.3%
+26.2%
vs nation
86th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Sanders County, 21.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 36.3% below the national average, ranking #1,737 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.5% −36.3% vs nation
Rank #1,737 of 3,222
46th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Sanders County is 75.0 years. 17.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 16.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,610
75.0
-0.2%
vs nation
48th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,107
17.1%
-12.6%
vs nation
65th percentile
Diabetes#338
8.6%
-22.7%
vs nation
89th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#825
34.5%
-7.5%
vs nation
74th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,495
6.1
+8.3%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,298
4.9
+9.0%
vs nation
27th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,803
16.5%
+57.7%
vs nation
11th percentile
Physical Inactivity#685
22.3%
-15.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,804
14.9%
+3.4%
vs nation
43th percentile

Substance Use

17.1% of adults in Sanders County smoke , 35.3% are obese , and 23.1% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,322
17.1%
-4.8%
vs nation
58th percentile
Adult Obesity#786
35.3%
-6.9%
vs nation
75th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,679
23.1%
+16.5%
vs nation
15th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 43.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 40.8 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,523
43.6
+121.0%
vs nation
1th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,393
36.8
+105.8%
vs nation
3th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,717
40.8
+101.5%
vs nation
4th percentile

Families & Children

20.4% of children in Sanders County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 14.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#859
14.6
-33.2%
vs nation
71th percentile
Child Poverty#1,968
20.4%
+7.4%
vs nation
37th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Sanders County is 79.0%. The mean commute time is 24.0 min, which is 13.1% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
79.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.0 min −13.1% vs nation
Rank #2,149 of 3,222
33th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Sanders County voted Republican with a margin of 55.1%. The vote was 21.1% Dem / 76.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +55.1%
21.1% 76.2%
Dem 8,069 votes Rep
2020 REP +50.2%
23.8% 74%
Dem 7,652 votes Rep
2016 REP +52.1%
20.6% 72.7%
Dem 5,871 votes Rep
2012 REP +38.3%
29.1% 67.4%
Dem 5,888 votes Rep
2008 REP +27.2%
33.7% 60.9%
Dem 5,849 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Sanders County, Montana

Sanders County, Montana has a total population of 13,285, making it the 2,269th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Sanders County is 54.6 years, which is 40.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Sanders County is $57,476, which ranks #2,301 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 23.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.0%.

The median home value in Sanders County is $359,000, 27.4% above the national median. Renters in Sanders County pay a median gross rent of $820 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Sanders County, 21.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 36.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 86.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.0 min.

Sanders County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.3% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.5%).

All data for Sanders 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.