Musselshell County, Montana Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Musselshell County is located in Montana with a total population of 5,068. It is the 35th most populous county out of 56 in Montana. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Musselshell County is 51.3 years. This is 28% higher than the state median of 40.2 years. 10.2% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Musselshell County is $59,010. This is 16% lower than the state median of $69,922. It is also 25% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 15.3%. This is 27% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 5.9%. This is 58% higher than the state rate of 3.8%. The median home value is $221,200. Housing costs are 35% lower than the state median of $338,100. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.7x. 82.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 19% higher than the state average of 69.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

Musselshell County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 87.7% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.7%.

Education

21.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 37% lower than the state rate of 34.5%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 90.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Musselshell County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), 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.