Town · Montana
Big Sandy, Montana
Big Sandy, town, in Chouteau County, Montana. Big Sandy had 598 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 605 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 784 (±167). GEOID 3006250.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
598
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 605 · ACS 2020-2024: 784 ±167
Median household income
$60,521
±$16,173 (90% margin)
Montana: $72,509
Median home value
$187,500
±$65,946 (90% margin)
Montana: $375,800
Median gross rent
$550
±$485 (90% margin)
Montana: $1,081
Where is Big Sandy and what county is it in?
Big Sandy is a town in Chouteau County, Montana. It covers 0.5 square miles of land, 1,268 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Big Sandy, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 598 people lived in Big Sandy on July 1, 2025, down 4.2% since 2020, while Montana grew 5.6%. The 2020 Census counted 605 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 784 (±167).
| Measure | Big Sandy | Chouteau County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 784 ±167 | 5,906 | +224 |
| Households | 259 ±55 | 2,159 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.95 ±0.56 | 2.67 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 312 ±60 | 2,885 | no clear change |
Big Sandy's population since 2000
From 703 in 2000 to 598 in 2025: down 14.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Big Sandy as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Big Sandy?
The median resident of Big Sandy is 43.4 years old; 21.2% are under 18 and 24.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 82.7%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 11.6%.
| Measure | Big Sandy | Chouteau County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.4 ±4.3 | 43.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 21.2% ±6.9 pts | 22.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 24.5% ±8.6 pts | 23.4% | – |
| Male | 44.3% ±7.7 pts | 50.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 3.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 82.7% ±7.7 pts | 75.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 5.6% ±4.5 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 11.6% ±6.4 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.8% ±2.0 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.0% ±1.7 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.5% ±4.6 pts | 7.9% | – |
| With a disability | 19.4% ±6.8 pts | 13.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.8% ±1.6 pts | 5.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.4% ±4.3 pts | 93.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.2% ±6.7 pts | 23.0% | −10.6 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.8% ±3.4 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.2% ±5.0 pts | 92.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.2% ±1.5 pts | 1.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Big Sandy earn?
Half of Big Sandy's 259 households earn less than $60,521 a year (±$16,173), against $58,218 in Chouteau County and $72,509 in Montana. In 2015-2019 it was $50,327 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Big Sandy | Chouteau County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,521 ±$16,173 | $58,218 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $83,267 ±$11,701 | $78,673 | – |
| Per capita income | $30,399 ±$4,131 | $31,122 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 8.5% ±5.1 pts | 11.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 12.7% ±13.1 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 14.3% ±11.3 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 83.4% ±13.3 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 74.1% ±13.5 pts | 77.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Big Sandy?
Owners occupy 74.5% of Big Sandy's occupied homes and renters 25.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $187,500 by its owner (±$65,946).
| Measure | Big Sandy | Chouteau County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $187,500 ±$65,946 | $207,800 | +$72,061 |
| Median gross rent | $550 ±$485 | $536 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 18.3% ±19.0 pts | 21.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,055 ±$145 | $1,239 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.5% ±12.1 pts | 68.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.5% ±12.1 pts | 31.8% | – |
| Housing units | 312 ±60 | 2,885 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±13.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 9.6% ±13.9 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 82.1% ±11.2 pts | 77.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.1% ±4.3 pts | 16.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±9.2 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±9.2 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 26.0% ±8.4 pts | 24.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 11.2% ±12.3 pts | 5.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Big Sandy work and get to work?
63.6% of Big Sandy's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 16.5 minutes.
| Measure | Big Sandy | Chouteau County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 54.1% ±9.4 pts | 51.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 11.0% ±9.4 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 63.6% ±14.4 pts | 68.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 16.7% ±10.5 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±9.7 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 5.4% ±4.9 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 14.3% ±11.2 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 16.5 min ±3.0 | 18.5 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Big Sandy?
No census tract lies mostly in Big Sandy; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 103Chouteau County | 3,736 | $52,402 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Big Sandy) · Census block assignment files
How does Big Sandy compare with other places in Montana?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Big Sandy is the 12,485th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 75th-most populous of 127 in Montana.
Big Sandy is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 75th | 127 |
Big Sandy's figures with every place in Montana (CSV)
Every place in Montana, sortable · Compare Big Sandy with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Big Sandy?
24 of the 57 figures for Big Sandy on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Big Sandy are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Big Sandy.