Population 161 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Essex
Household size in Essex
| Period | Essex | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.37 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.08 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.14 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Essex is a place of small households, averaging 2.38 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. The picture is much the same across Montana. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.51, 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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.8 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.9 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 57.1 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.9 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +12.0 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Essex skews older: half of its residents are older than 48.9, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 0.8% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.9% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Essex than nationally: 8.9%, against 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 Essex
Renters in Essex
| Period | Essex | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.7% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.1% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.9% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.7% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −18.0 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Essex is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 13.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 58.0% have no mortgage at all, 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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.6% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 54.5% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 55.6% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 47.5% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.0 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Essex: 47.5% 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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +14 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Essex is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1986, against 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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $739 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $586 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $649 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,127 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$388 | +$487 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Essex costs $1,127 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 16.5% 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 Essex
Bachelor's degrees in Essex
| Period | Essex | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.2% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.3% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.0% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.9% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
About three in ten adults 25 and older in Essex (29.9%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below 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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.1% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.8% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.4% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.6% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Essex is a bit above the national rate: 91.6% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Even so, the rate is lower than in Montana overall (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 Essex
| Period | Essex | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 17.1% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.2% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.0 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Essex has been strong: just 2.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Essex 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex | 2.38 | 48.9 | 8.9% | 13.7% | 47.5% | 1986 | $1,127 | 29.9% | 91.6% | 2.2% |
| Summit | 2.37 | 47.3 | 10.6% | 13.3% | 42.3% | 1984 | $1,101 | 31.7% | 92.2% | 3.0% |
| Martin City | 2.36 | 49.2 | 9.4% | 11.8% | 45.7% | 1986 | $1,142 | 30.3% | 91.1% | 2.3% |
| West Glacier | 2.39 | 48.5 | 8.4% | 15.8% | 49.7% | 1986 | $1,040 | 29.4% | 92.2% | 2.0% |
| Coram | 2.42 | 48.9 | 9.8% | 10.6% | 43.9% | 1989 | $1,154 | 29.4% | 92.2% | 6.7% |
| East Glacier Park | 2.70 | 39.6 | 19.3% | 13.8% | 23.0% | 1983 | $875 | 33.0% | 88.1% | 6.2% |
| Hungry Horse | 2.46 | 45.9 | 8.7% | 11.0% | 37.1% | 1989 | $1,162 | 30.0% | 92.7% | 2.1% |
| Creston | 2.71 | 48.4 | 4.0% | 10.0% | 21.3% | 1995 | $1,344 | 40.5% | 99.1% | 2.1% |
| La Salle | 2.66 | 42.0 | 11.8% | 26.5% | 21.7% | 1994 | $1,213 | 32.8% | 95.9% | 22.6% |
| Columbia Falls | 2.57 | 40.0 | 13.5% | 28.9% | 12.5% | 1989 | $1,136 | 34.8% | 93.4% | 4.5% |
| Bigfork | 2.35 | 53.8 | 5.1% | 16.7% | 26.3% | 1994 | $1,244 | 49.6% | 97.9% | 1.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Bona, MO · Buies Creek, NC · Brooks, MS · Brooks, CA · Briggsville, AR · Brewster, NE · Brentwood, NH · Breezy Hill, LA · Bradleyville, MI · Bradgate, IA
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 Essex. 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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