Prairie County, Montana Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Prairie County is located in Montana with a total population of 1,251. It is the 51st most populous county out of 56 in Montana. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Prairie County is 49.1 years. This is 22% higher than the state median of 40.2 years. 10.6% 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 Prairie County is $45,192. This is 35% lower than the state median of $69,922. It is also 42% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 23.9%. This is 99% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 1.1%. This is 69% lower than the state rate of 3.8%. The median home value is $167,100. Housing costs are 51% lower than the state median of $338,100. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.7x. 76.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 10% higher than the state average of 69.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

Prairie County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 89.4% of all residents. Asian residents account for 3.9%. The Hispanic or Latino population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 4.4%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (3.9% vs 0.8%).

Education

20.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 42% 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 88.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Prairie 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.