Population 2,438 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Big Sky
Household size in Big Sky
| Period | Big Sky | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.21 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.45 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.29 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.31 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.10 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Big Sky are small: just 2.31 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.21, 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 Sky
| Period | Big Sky | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.9 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.7 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.8 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.6 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.6 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Big Sky is 42.6 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. That is in line with the rest of Montana.
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 Sky
| Period | Big Sky | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.7% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Big Sky: 8.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The picture is much the same across Montana.
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 Sky
Renters in Big Sky
| Period | Big Sky | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.5% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.7% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −22.3 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 12.3% of households in Big Sky rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 49.7% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Sky
| Period | Big Sky | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 58.7% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 58.7% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 55.1% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 57.7% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 57.7% of the housing in Big Sky, 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 Sky
| Period | Big Sky | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1988 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1999 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1997 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2002 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +14 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Big Sky is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 2002, 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 Sky
| Period | Big Sky | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $948 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,165 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,430 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,355 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$407 | +$487 | +$606 |
The median renter in Big Sky pays $1,355 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Montana as a whole ($1,189). The typical renter here spends 25.8% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Sky
Bachelor's degrees in Big Sky
| Period | Big Sky | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 53.4% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 56.2% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 61.2% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 55.0% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Big Sky: 55.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
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 Sky
| Period | Big Sky | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 99.7% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.7% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.0% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.5% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Big Sky: 96.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Sky
| Period | Big Sky | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.1% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.9% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −9.2 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Big Sky has been low: just 0.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below 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 Sky 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 Sky | 2.31 | 42.6 | 8.2% | 12.3% | 57.7% | 2002 | $1,355 | 55.0% | 96.5% | 0.9% |
| Gallatin Gateway | 2.52 | 40.0 | 4.0% | 30.9% | 31.5% | 1995 | $1,381 | 51.0% | 97.9% | 1.1% |
| Miner | 1.85 | 53.9 | 2.1% | 34.2% | 41.6% | 1988 | $511 | 43.3% | 99.3% | 2.5% |
| Jeffers | 2.60 | 40.9 | 1.8% | 18.6% | 45.8% | 2006 | $975 | 30.5% | 91.2% | 2.5% |
| Ennis | 2.27 | 48.1 | 2.1% | 23.8% | 35.9% | 2001 | $1,111 | 35.1% | 91.8% | 5.9% |
| Cameron | 2.44 | 46.8 | 4.9% | 15.5% | 64.5% | 1998 | $1,724 | 42.9% | 94.3% | 3.7% |
| Varney | 2.44 | 46.8 | 4.9% | 15.5% | 64.5% | 1998 | $1,724 | 42.9% | 94.3% | 3.7% |
| Mc Allister | 2.60 | 44.3 | 1.4% | 16.3% | 42.4% | 2002 | $912 | 27.8% | 91.5% | 1.9% |
| Red Bluff | 2.80 | 38.5 | 1.7% | 12.4% | 52.1% | 2007 | $943 | 26.4% | 91.3% | 0.0% |
| Emigrant | 1.79 | 60.5 | 4.3% | 14.2% | 25.9% | 1992 | $1,293 | 54.6% | 97.7% | 10.6% |
| Corwin Springs | 1.70 | 60.0 | 1.1% | 31.1% | 37.6% | 1986 | $237 | 44.5% | 98.1% | 3.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Port Allegany, PA · Petersburg, AK · Duffield, VA · Wellfleet, MA · North Waterboro, ME · Wedgefield, SC · Monroeville, OH · Moriches, NY · Thayer, MO · London, AR
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 Sky. 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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