Valley County, Montana Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Valley County is located in Montana with a total population of 7,540. It is the 28th most populous county out of 56 in Montana. The county encompasses 7 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Valley County is 43.2 years. This is 7% higher than the state median of 40.2 years. 10.7% 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 Valley County is $64,515. This is 8% lower than the state median of $69,922. It is also 18% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 12.9%. This is 7% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 3.3%. This is 13% lower than the state rate of 3.8%. The median home value is $198,600. Housing costs are 41% lower than the state median of $338,100. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.1x. 77.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 12% higher than the state average of 69.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Valley County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 84.8% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.6%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 0.8%.

Education

21.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 38% 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 94.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Valley 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.