Bear Dance, Montana Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 220, Bear Dance's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Bear Dance is a small community located in Montana, within Lake County. The total population is 220. It ranks as the 235th most populous out of 475 Census-designated places in Montana.

Age Demographics

The median age in Bear Dance is 54.6 years. This is 35% higher than the state median of 40.4 years. Only 2.7% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Bear Dance is $84,732. This is 17% higher than the state median of $72,509. It is also 5% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 19.6%. This is 70% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.5%. The unemployment rate is 13.1%. This is 262% higher than the state rate of 3.6%. The median home value is $833,300. Housing costs are 122% higher than the state median of $375,800. The home-value-to-income ratio of 9.8x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 86.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 25% higher than the state average of 69.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Bear Dance is White (non-Hispanic), making up 66.4% of the population.

Education

70.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Bear Dance in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 101% higher than the state rate of 35.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample. Notably, 37.4% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Bear Dance, Montana is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Montana state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 475 Census-designated places in Montana. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.