Population 1,308 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Carter County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Carter County
Household size in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.20 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.09 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.14 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Carter County is a place of small households, averaging 2.14 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Only five of Montana's 56 counties have smaller households.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.2 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 50.1 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.4 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 57.0 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.8 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Carter County skews older: half of its residents are older than 57.0, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 51.2, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change. Only one other Montana county is older.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.1% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 2.3% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.9% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 1.9% of households in Carter County, well below the national share of 11.6%. Only two of Montana's 56 counties have a lower share of single-parent households.
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 Carter County
Renters in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.0% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.2% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.0% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 37.8% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +12.8 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly four in ten households in Carter County rent their homes (37.8%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. About eight in ten owners (81.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Few Montana counties have a higher share of renters: only two of 56.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.5% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 38.9% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.2% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.7% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 27.7% of the housing in Carter County, 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. Carter County has a higher vacancy rate than the great majority of Montana counties.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1961 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1965 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +16 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Carter County are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1976, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Montana as a whole, where the median home dates to 1982.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $961 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $515 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $580 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $773 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$187 | +$487 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Carter County costs $773 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 29.1% of household income on rent, just 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 Carter County
Bachelor's degrees in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.4% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.5% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.2% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.7% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Carter County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.7%, against 35.6% nationally. Carter County has a lower share of college graduates than the great majority of Montana counties.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.2% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.8% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.4% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.7% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Carter County is above the national rate: 93.7% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Montana.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 0.4% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 1.1% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.8% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Carter County runs below the national rate: 3.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. The picture is much the same across Montana. 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).
Carter County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County | 2.14 | 57.0 | 1.9% | 37.8% | 27.7% | 1976 | $773 | 20.7% | 93.7% | 3.6% |
| Harding County | 2.22 | 46.3 | 4.0% | 23.5% | 27.6% | 1973 | $521 | 30.4% | 93.8% | 0.9% |
| Perkins County | 2.23 | 45.3 | 9.2% | 21.6% | 25.0% | 1966 | $776 | 25.2% | 94.9% | 4.8% |
| Big Horn County | 3.47 | 33.2 | 20.2% | 33.3% | 14.4% | 1975 | $599 | 17.3% | 89.4% | 14.6% |
| Corson County | 3.48 | 29.4 | 28.7% | 40.9% | 16.2% | 1974 | $521 | 18.3% | 85.3% | 26.2% |
| Yellowstone County | 2.42 | 39.4 | 10.1% | 30.4% | 7.0% | 1983 | $1,287 | 33.6% | 95.4% | 3.4% |
| Walworth County | 2.13 | 41.7 | 6.6% | 23.8% | 17.1% | 1966 | $865 | 27.0% | 91.8% | 3.2% |
| Stillwater County | 2.43 | 46.6 | 5.0% | 17.1% | 15.5% | 1986 | $1,036 | 31.9% | 95.4% | 3.0% |
| McPherson County | 2.09 | 49.4 | 5.1% | 18.7% | 24.2% | 1964 | $637 | 27.4% | 83.8% | 1.1% |
| Park County | 2.15 | 46.7 | 10.3% | 30.6% | 11.2% | 1977 | $1,205 | 39.5% | 96.1% | 2.6% |
| Gallatin County | 2.36 | 36.0 | 5.7% | 38.9% | 10.0% | 1996 | $1,744 | 54.6% | 97.2% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: De Baca County, NM · Dewey County, OK · Saguache County, CO · Deuel County, NE · Desha County, AR · San Miguel County, CO · Delta County, TX · Deer Lodge County, MT · Decatur County, IA · Rosebud County, MT
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 Carter County. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.