Square Butte, Montana Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 28, Square Butte'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

Square Butte is a small community located in Montana, within Chouteau County. The total population is 28. It ranks as the 424th most populous out of 475 Census-designated places in Montana.

Age Demographics

The median age in Square Butte is 68.7 years. This is 70% higher than the state median of 40.4 years. Only 3.6% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 25.0% 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 Square Butte is $48,500. This is 33% lower than the state median of $72,509. It is also 40% lower than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Square Butte. 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 Square Butte, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. 75.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 8% higher than the state average of 69.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Every resident counted in Square Butte 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

0.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. 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 Square Butte, 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.