Population 6,035 · 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 Pondera County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Pondera County
Household size in Pondera County
| Period | Pondera County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.79 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.60 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.91 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.64 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.15 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Pondera County average 2.64 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in Montana as a whole, where it has 2.44 people. Household size has dropped from 2.79 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Pondera County
| Period | Pondera County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.9 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.8 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.3 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.7 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Pondera County is 42.2 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has edged down from 42.9 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. The youngest areas are in the northwest, the oldest in the southeast.
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 Pondera County
| Period | Pondera County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.9% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Pondera County than nationally: 8.9%, against 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of Montana. The single-parent share is up 0.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Pondera County
Renters in Pondera County
| Period | Pondera County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.1% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.4% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.3% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Pondera County is about as common as it is nationally: 32.3% of households rent, against 34.8%. About seven in ten owners (70.0%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the east; owners are most common in the north. The renter share is up 2.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Pondera County
| Period | Pondera County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.6% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 21.3% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.4% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 16.4% of the housing in Pondera 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. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 1.7 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 Pondera County
| Period | Pondera County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1961 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Pondera County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1968, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1960 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the south.
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 Pondera County
| Period | Pondera County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $498 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $588 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $681 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $799 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$301 | +$487 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Pondera County costs $799 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $301 a month from 2006–10, a 60% jump, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 28.3% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the center; the most affordable are in the northwest.
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 Pondera County
Bachelor's degrees in Pondera County
| Period | Pondera County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.3% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.3% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.7% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.5% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Pondera County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.5%, against 35.6% nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the northwest. Few Montana counties have a lower share of college graduates: only four of 56.
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 Pondera County
| Period | Pondera County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.8% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.5% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.0% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Pondera County never finished high school, more than nationally: 86.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Of Montana's 56 counties, only two have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Pondera County
| Period | Pondera County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Pondera County than nationally: unemployment was 6.4%, against 5.4%. Pondera County has higher unemployment than at least four in five Montana counties. 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).
Pondera 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pondera County | 2.64 | 42.2 | 8.9% | 32.3% | 16.4% | 1968 | $799 | 19.5% | 86.0% | 6.4% |
| Toole County | 2.47 | 39.5 | 5.2% | 36.9% | 18.9% | 1963 | $911 | 22.4% | 86.5% | 4.2% |
| Teton County | 2.44 | 43.6 | 5.2% | 24.5% | 15.9% | 1964 | $749 | 26.8% | 91.7% | 1.0% |
| Glacier County | 3.11 | 34.8 | 24.6% | 36.3% | 17.1% | 1971 | $715 | 16.8% | 85.5% | 10.2% |
| Liberty County | 2.51 | 39.1 | 8.5% | 36.6% | 13.6% | 1966 | $720 | 27.0% | 83.3% | 0.5% |
| Chouteau County | 2.75 | 42.2 | 10.2% | 31.8% | 23.4% | 1967 | $646 | 22.5% | 92.6% | 2.6% |
| Flathead County | 2.53 | 43.7 | 8.3% | 27.6% | 12.1% | 1989 | $1,358 | 36.7% | 95.5% | 3.0% |
| Hill County | 2.62 | 35.7 | 14.7% | 33.9% | 15.6% | 1971 | $840 | 24.1% | 90.3% | 4.7% |
| Blaine County | 3.12 | 36.2 | 19.9% | 34.3% | 18.8% | 1968 | $701 | 23.1% | 90.5% | 15.2% |
| Lincoln County | 2.43 | 51.6 | 7.1% | 22.4% | 17.3% | 1982 | $845 | 18.7% | 89.6% | 5.8% |
| Boundary County | 2.59 | 44.7 | 9.3% | 24.7% | 10.7% | 1991 | $975 | 23.9% | 85.6% | 3.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Edwards County, KS · Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK · Smith County, KS · Slope County, ND · Fallon County, MT · Eureka County, NV · Essex County, VT · Esmeralda County, NV · Emporia City, VA · Emmons County, ND
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 Pondera 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.