Custer County, Montana Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Custer County is located in Montana with a total population of 11,961. It is the 17th most populous county out of 56 in Montana. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Custer County is 42.7 years. This is 6% higher than the state median of 40.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Custer County is $70,605. This is 3% lower than the state median of $72,509. It is also 13% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 11.3%. This is 1% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.5%. The unemployment rate is 3.4%. This is 5% lower than the state rate of 3.6%. The median home value is $219,100. Housing costs are 42% lower than the state median of $375,800. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.1x. 69.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 1% higher than the state average of 69.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Custer County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 89.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.4%. The Black or African American population (0.0%) is well below the state average of 0.4%.

Education

27.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 23% lower than the state rate of 35.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 95.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Custer County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Montana and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.