Population 2,206 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Colstrip
Household size in Colstrip
| Period | Colstrip | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.78 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.75 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.89 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.62 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.15 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
At 2.62 people per household, Colstrip sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in Montana overall, where it has 2.44 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.78, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Colstrip
| Period | Colstrip | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.3 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.2 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.9 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.1 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.8 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.1, Colstrip 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 Colstrip
| Period | Colstrip | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.8% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.6% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 1.9% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Colstrip (9.7%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. 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 Colstrip
Renters in Colstrip
| Period | Colstrip | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.7% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.5% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.6% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.8% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.9 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 17.8% of households in Colstrip rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About six in ten owners (59.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well 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 Colstrip
| Period | Colstrip | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.0% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Colstrip: 15.4% 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 Colstrip
| Period | Colstrip | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Colstrip are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1982, versus 1980 nationally.
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 Colstrip
| Period | Colstrip | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $653 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $627 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $836 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $878 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$225 | +$487 | +$606 |
The median renter in Colstrip pays $878 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 13.9% 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 Colstrip
Bachelor's degrees in Colstrip
| Period | Colstrip | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.7% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 34.5% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.5% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.4% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Colstrip have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 25.4%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Colstrip
| Period | Colstrip | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.6% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.6% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.8% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.9% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Colstrip: 94.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 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 Colstrip
| Period | Colstrip | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.3% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Colstrip than nationally: unemployment was 6.6%, against 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).
Colstrip 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colstrip | 2.62 | 44.1 | 9.7% | 17.8% | 15.4% | 1982 | $878 | 25.4% | 94.9% | 6.6% |
| Lame Deer | 3.76 | 24.2 | 34.7% | 45.3% | 23.0% | 1980 | $531 | 12.6% | 84.7% | 28.5% |
| Sumatra | 2.26 | 46.7 | 6.6% | 24.7% | 15.3% | 1975 | $885 | 26.7% | 93.5% | 4.9% |
| Forsyth | 2.29 | 40.3 | 5.8% | 29.1% | 16.1% | 1956 | $863 | 16.1% | 92.7% | 4.0% |
| Ashland | 2.48 | 38.5 | 13.0% | 58.3% | 18.7% | 1979 | $648 | 29.4% | 89.9% | 6.7% |
| Rosebud | 2.17 | 52.3 | 6.0% | 37.6% | 25.8% | 1980 | $896 | 18.2% | 90.0% | 1.4% |
| Busby | 3.92 | 26.2 | 24.2% | 43.0% | 22.2% | 1981 | $435 | 13.3% | 91.4% | 14.9% |
| Sanders | 2.11 | 51.7 | 5.9% | 33.9% | 23.8% | 1977 | $905 | 26.4% | 92.2% | 1.2% |
| Garland | 2.47 | 43.2 | 0.4% | 9.4% | 16.0% | 1984 | $541 | 38.9% | 97.3% | 3.0% |
| Birney Day School | 2.63 | 38.4 | 13.3% | 59.6% | 19.0% | 1979 | $649 | 28.4% | 89.6% | 9.1% |
| Birney | 2.46 | 36.1 | 14.4% | 62.2% | 17.9% | 1980 | $642 | 28.7% | 89.6% | 6.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Allenton, WI · Bethune, SC · Cedar Grove, NC · Delavan, IL · Humansville, MO · Kenefick, TX · Kinsey, AL · Loganton, PA · Marion, WI · Maxwell, TX
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 Colstrip. 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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