Crane, Montana Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 187, Crane'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

Crane is a small community located in Montana, within Richland County. The total population is 187. It ranks as the 258th most populous out of 475 Census-designated places in Montana.

Age Demographics

The median age in Crane is 16.8 years. This is 58% lower than the state median of 40.4 years. With 52.4% of the population under 18, Crane has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Crane is $79,545. This is 10% higher than the state median of $72,509. It is also 1% lower than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Crane. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The survey records no unemployed residents in Crane, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $230,300. Housing costs are 39% lower than the state median of $375,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.9x, Crane is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 45% higher than the state average of 69.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Every resident counted in Crane was recorded as White (non-Hispanic). A figure of exactly 100.0% reflects a survey sample too small to capture the community's full composition rather than a precise measurement.

Education

52.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Crane in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 50% 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.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Crane, 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.