Population 239 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wise River
Household size in Wise River
| Period | Wise River | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.00 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.08 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.07 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.15 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.15 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Wise River is a place of small households, averaging 2.15 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has climbed from 2.00 in 2006–10, 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 Wise River
| Period | Wise River | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.5 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.6 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.6 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 55.9 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +11.4 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 55.9, Wise River 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 Wise River
| Period | Wise River | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 1.5% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.3% of households in Wise River, 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 Wise River
Renters in Wise River
| Period | Wise River | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.8% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.8% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.0% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.0% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −15.8 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.0% of households in Wise River rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About two-thirds of owners (66.2%) 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 Wise River
| Period | Wise River | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.9% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 45.6% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 50.5% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.9% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −10.0 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 38.9% of the housing in Wise River, 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 Wise River
| Period | Wise River | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Wise River are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1983, 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 Wise River
| Period | Wise River | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $463 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $493 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $606 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $749 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$287 | +$487 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Wise River costs $749 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 23.6% 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 Wise River
Bachelor's degrees in Wise River
| Period | Wise River | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.1% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.0% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.2% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.9% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Wise River as nationally: 34.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 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 Wise River
| Period | Wise River | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.5% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.6% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.8% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.1% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Wise River: 95.1% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of 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 Wise River
| Period | Wise River | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.5% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.6% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.6% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Wise River has been low: just 1.5% 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).
Wise River 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wise River | 2.15 | 55.9 | 4.3% | 22.0% | 38.9% | 1983 | $749 | 34.9% | 95.1% | 1.5% |
| Anaconda-Deer Lodge County | 2.11 | 47.8 | 7.1% | 0.3% | 59.2% | 1991 | $731 | 40.2% | 92.6% | 0.0% |
| Divide | 2.75 | 43.5 | 1.5% | 6.0% | 26.8% | 1990 | $1,073 | 44.4% | 99.2% | 4.6% |
| Feely | 2.84 | 41.5 | 3.0% | 5.0% | 11.0% | 1995 | $892 | 35.4% | 98.5% | 3.0% |
| Melrose | 2.40 | 41.9 | 1.8% | 14.4% | 17.8% | 1996 | $836 | 38.8% | 98.3% | 2.8% |
| Crackerville | 2.68 | 43.4 | 4.7% | 10.2% | 7.1% | 1988 | $791 | 28.2% | 97.9% | 2.1% |
| Opportunity | 2.03 | 51.3 | 5.2% | 23.2% | 15.3% | 1949 | $691 | 16.3% | 94.7% | 2.6% |
| Nissler | 2.85 | 41.3 | 3.7% | 6.0% | 5.3% | 1996 | $809 | 31.5% | 98.1% | 2.3% |
| Ramsay | 2.85 | 41.3 | 3.7% | 6.0% | 5.3% | 1996 | $809 | 31.5% | 98.1% | 2.3% |
| Anaconda | 2.05 | 48.3 | 6.7% | 28.0% | 16.4% | 1950 | $721 | 25.2% | 93.3% | 4.2% |
| Wisdom | 2.09 | 58.7 | 4.2% | 27.2% | 36.7% | 1981 | $713 | 32.8% | 95.1% | 1.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Dundee, MN · Swiss Alp, TX · Sulphur Springs, OH · Struble, IA · Stringtown, IA · Edwardsville, VA · Eaton, ID · Eagle Harbor, MD · Eagarville, IL · Dyer Brook, ME
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 Wise River. 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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