Population 303 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Custer
Household size in Custer
| Period | Custer | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.25 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.24 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.56 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.10 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.15 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Custer is a place of small households, averaging 2.10 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.25, 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 Custer
| Period | Custer | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.1 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 51.2 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.9 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 54.8 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.8 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 54.8, Custer 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 Custer
| Period | Custer | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 24.6% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.8% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Custer: 1.8% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Custer
Renters in Custer
| Period | Custer | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.3% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.5% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −17.3 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Custer is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 7.9% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 40.6% have no mortgage at all, 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 Custer
| Period | Custer | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.9% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.3% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.6% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Custer: 13.6% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Montana as a whole looks much the same.
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 Custer
| Period | Custer | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Custer are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1987, versus 1980 across the U.S.
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 Custer
| Period | Custer | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $489 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $490 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $708 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $431 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$58 | +$487 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Custer costs $431 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 15.2% 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 Custer
Bachelor's degrees in Custer
| Period | Custer | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.4% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.8% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.3% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Custer have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.3%, 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 Custer
| Period | Custer | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.4% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.0% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.0% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.6% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Custer: 95.6% 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 Custer
| Period | Custer | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.1% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.7% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.0% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Custer runs below the national rate: 3.5% 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).
Custer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer | 2.10 | 54.8 | 1.8% | 7.9% | 13.6% | 1987 | $431 | 21.3% | 95.6% | 3.5% |
| Big Horn | 2.17 | 49.6 | 6.1% | 25.5% | 17.3% | 1975 | $788 | 30.2% | 94.3% | 3.7% |
| Pompeys Pillar | 2.28 | 49.2 | 4.8% | 12.2% | 11.7% | 1981 | $601 | 19.9% | 94.1% | 6.3% |
| Myers | 2.03 | 52.0 | 5.8% | 31.7% | 21.7% | 1972 | $850 | 37.5% | 95.0% | 1.0% |
| Hysham | 2.05 | 51.7 | 5.9% | 31.4% | 21.3% | 1972 | $847 | 36.8% | 94.9% | 1.3% |
| Worden | 2.70 | 41.7 | 7.1% | 15.3% | 7.1% | 1994 | $880 | 26.9% | 92.6% | 3.1% |
| Ballantine | 2.29 | 43.2 | 5.0% | 14.6% | 9.5% | 1983 | $938 | 23.6% | 95.9% | 2.3% |
| Hardin | 2.74 | 40.2 | 11.0% | 41.0% | 7.5% | 1969 | $740 | 20.2% | 90.0% | 8.9% |
| Sumatra | 2.26 | 46.7 | 6.6% | 24.7% | 15.3% | 1975 | $885 | 26.7% | 93.5% | 4.9% |
| Sanders | 2.11 | 51.7 | 5.9% | 33.9% | 23.8% | 1977 | $905 | 26.4% | 92.2% | 1.2% |
| Musselshell | 2.22 | 61.0 | 4.7% | 4.1% | 20.4% | 1992 | $1,584 | 31.6% | 86.6% | 8.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Newton, WA · Nemaha, IA · Nestlow, WV · Nevada Mills, IN · New Buena Vista, PA · New Elizabethtown, IN · New Hampshire, OH · New Harmony, MO · New Hill, WV · New Holland, SD
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 Custer. 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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