Population
142 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Montana
City profile · Montana · Census ACS 2023
Big Arm, MT
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Big Arm - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 142
- Residents
- $1,444
- Median rent (state)
Big Arm - the verdict
142 people call Big Arm, Montana home. Source: Census ACS.
- 57th
- percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Big Arm, MT
Montana's Big Arm is a small town, with 142 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The median resident age is 31.5 years. About 11.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 56.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Living costs in Montana run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Montana scores 94.6 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,444 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Montana run around $175, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 11.2 minutes, with 100.0% driving alone and 0.0% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 67.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).
Median Household Income
N/A /yr
Poverty 55.1%
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.6 (US=100)
Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Montana average
How does Big Arm compare to other US cities?
Big Arm measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Median rent 57% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Big Arm's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Montana, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
Income distribution context
Median household income is not available for Big Arm in the current Census ACS release (common for very small places).
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 11.2%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 55.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.1%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
142
Median Income
N/A
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
31.5
Poverty Rate
55.1%
Labor force participation
56.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
11.2%
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
11.2 minutes
Drive Alone
100.0%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
0.0%
Based on 55 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Montana - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$80
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$175
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Montana state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a Montana state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Big Arm sits in
Cost of Living Index
94.6
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,444/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
67.7 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in Montana
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Big Arm's 142 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Big Arm compares to nearby Montana cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MT OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Big Arm, MT?
What is the population of Big Arm, MT? +
142 people live in Big Arm, MT according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the cost of living in Big Arm? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Big Arm; the closest available measure is the Montana state average, a cost of living index of 94.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Montana vary by metro area.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Citation & verification links
Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities EditorialEvery figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.