Population 3,733 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Plains
Household size in Plains
| Period | Plains | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.12 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.14 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.32 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.20 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Plains are small: just 2.32 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 2.12, 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 Plains
| Period | Plains | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.2 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 50.3 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 55.0 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 55.8 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.6 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Plains skews older: half of its residents are older than 55.8, 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 Plains
| Period | Plains | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.2% of households in Plains, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Plains
Renters in Plains
| Period | Plains | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.4% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.0% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.3% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 21.4% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Plains is largely a place of homeowners: only 21.4% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than half of owners (54.6%) 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 Plains
| Period | Plains | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.7% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.7% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 28.0% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.1% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 17.1% of the housing in Plains, 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 Plains
| Period | Plains | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +15 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Plains is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1993, 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 Plains
| Period | Plains | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $645 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $663 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $667 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,069 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$423 | +$487 | +$606 |
The median renter in Plains pays $1,069 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 41.5% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Plains
Bachelor's degrees in Plains
| Period | Plains | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.8% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.9% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.5% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.8% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Plains: 21.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well 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 Plains
| Period | Plains | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.7% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.8% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.0% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.4% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Plains is a bit above the national rate: 91.4% 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 Plains
| Period | Plains | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Plains runs well above the national rate: 10.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 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).
Plains 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plains | 2.32 | 55.8 | 3.2% | 21.4% | 17.1% | 1993 | $1,069 | 21.8% | 91.4% | 10.2% |
| Paradise | 2.27 | 59.8 | 2.2% | 15.7% | 20.9% | 1997 | $1,213 | 23.3% | 91.0% | 6.6% |
| Hot Springs | 2.20 | 52.4 | 6.2% | 28.2% | 17.0% | 1976 | $812 | 20.5% | 89.4% | 8.5% |
| St. Regis | 2.13 | 49.6 | 8.9% | 22.9% | 17.5% | 1978 | $818 | 33.4% | 90.2% | 5.8% |
| Perma | 2.62 | 45.3 | 6.8% | 24.8% | 17.1% | 1989 | $824 | 17.4% | 88.1% | 5.0% |
| DeBorgia | 1.87 | 59.6 | 9.7% | 12.8% | 20.5% | 1997 | $685 | 30.5% | 89.6% | 9.0% |
| Lonepine | 2.14 | 54.3 | 5.7% | 27.9% | 17.9% | 1976 | $853 | 20.6% | 89.5% | 8.9% |
| Thompson Falls | 2.27 | 59.9 | 5.8% | 14.9% | 21.9% | 1987 | $616 | 25.6% | 94.8% | 0.3% |
| Superior | 2.35 | 55.5 | 7.5% | 21.4% | 13.8% | 1984 | $751 | 19.7% | 92.2% | 1.0% |
| Haugan | 1.65 | 59.8 | 16.3% | 14.5% | 30.1% | 1994 | $694 | 44.3% | 89.5% | 18.7% |
| Saltese | 1.88 | 62.6 | 8.7% | 6.6% | 16.7% | 2000 | $644 | 29.7% | 90.0% | 7.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Necedah, WI · Luttrell, TN · Mitchell, NE · Mio, MI · Holmes, NY · Dundee, IL · Juliette, GA · Loxahatchee Groves, FL · Canisteo, NY · Williams Bay, WI
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 Plains. 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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