Population 700 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Big Arm
Household size in Big Arm
| Period | Big Arm | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.21 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.46 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.52 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.31 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Big Arm run a little small, averaging 2.52 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Montana as a whole looks much the same. Household size has climbed from 2.21 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Big Arm
| Period | Big Arm | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 59.7 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 58.2 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 50.8 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 50.0 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | −9.7 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 50.0, Big Arm is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Big Arm
| Period | Big Arm | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.4% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.5% of households in Big Arm, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Big Arm
Renters in Big Arm
| Period | Big Arm | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.1% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.9% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.5% of households in Big Arm rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About four in ten owners (40.3%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Big Arm
| Period | Big Arm | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 53.0% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 50.5% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 49.2% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.7% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −13.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Big Arm: 39.7% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Big Arm
| Period | Big Arm | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1986 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1990 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Big Arm is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1993, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Big Arm
| Period | Big Arm | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $986 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $708 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $725 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,027 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$41 | +$487 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Big Arm costs $1,027 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 20.5% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Big Arm
Bachelor's degrees in Big Arm
| Period | Big Arm | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.9% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.8% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.8% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.6% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a third of adults 25 and older in Big Arm (34.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Big Arm
| Period | Big Arm | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.3% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.5% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.2% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.4% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Big Arm have finished high school (92.4%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Still, the rate is lower than in Montana as a whole (94.6%).
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Big Arm
| Period | Big Arm | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.9% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Big Arm: 8.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Big Arm compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Arm | 2.52 | 50.0 | 6.5% | 15.5% | 39.7% | 1993 | $1,027 | 34.6% | 92.4% | 8.9% |
| Elmo | 2.39 | 51.5 | 7.5% | 19.8% | 48.7% | 1991 | $1,091 | 34.5% | 92.0% | 11.9% |
| Dayton | 2.39 | 51.7 | 7.4% | 19.4% | 48.9% | 1991 | $1,096 | 34.6% | 92.1% | 11.8% |
| Polson | 2.37 | 47.9 | 6.8% | 29.2% | 21.2% | 1986 | $911 | 36.0% | 93.7% | 4.6% |
| Proctor | 2.23 | 58.9 | 4.1% | 3.9% | 53.8% | 1990 | $1,277 | 39.0% | 95.9% | 4.1% |
| Rollins | 2.21 | 59.2 | 4.1% | 5.8% | 54.1% | 1990 | $1,234 | 41.3% | 96.2% | 3.5% |
| Bear Dance | 2.17 | 60.2 | 3.8% | 6.7% | 54.8% | 1989 | $1,200 | 44.3% | 96.8% | 2.0% |
| Pablo | 2.66 | 41.0 | 13.5% | 26.5% | 13.2% | 1991 | $829 | 27.5% | 91.6% | 5.9% |
| Lakeside | 2.36 | 47.8 | 7.2% | 26.6% | 30.3% | 1987 | $1,143 | 37.4% | 97.6% | 1.7% |
| Niarada | 6.62 | 31.1 | 75.6% | 14.4% | 47.4% | 1998 | $937 | 55.1% | 98.7% | 17.9% |
| Lonepine | 2.14 | 54.3 | 5.7% | 27.9% | 17.9% | 1976 | $853 | 20.6% | 89.5% | 8.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Smyrna, WA · Star Junction, PA · Stafford Springs, MS · St. Joseph, FL · Pinedale, MS · Fruitland, UT · Gambell, AK · Matoaka, WV · Lothair, GA · Long Lake, WA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Big Arm. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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