City profile · Montana · Census ACS 2023

Big Timber, MT

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Big Timber — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,530
Residents
$63,514
Median income
$235,100
Median home
$1,336
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Big Timber, MT

Big Timber is a city in Montana with a population of 1,530 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $63,514 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 3.6%. Typical homes in Big Timber are valued around $235,100, and the median resident age is 38.9 years. About 15.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 56.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 1 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 67% from five years earlier. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 47.0°F with 16.9 inches of precipitation per year and 54.6 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Montana registers 94.6 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,336 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $175 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 33.3 out of 100 (Very Low).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

1,530 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Montana

Median Household Income

$63,514 /yr

Poverty 3.6%

Cost of Living Index

94.6 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Big Timber compare to other US cities?

Where Big Timber sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 41% higher than other cities
Home value 52% pricier than other cities
Median rent 61% pricier than other cities

Percentiles compare Big Timber against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Big Timber, MT Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Big Timber, MT. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Big Timber, MT — median $63,514/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Big Timber, MT — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 15.1%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.6%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.5%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
1,530
Median Income
$63,514
Median Home Value
$235,100
Median Age
38.9
Poverty Rate
3.6%
Labor force participation
56.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
15.1%

Climate

Avg Temperature
47.0°F
Annual Precipitation
16.9"
Annual Snowfall
54.6"

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.7
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 3
2020 1
2021 1
2022 3
2023 0
2024 1

Permit volume decreased 67% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
73.5%
Carpool
6.8%
Public Transit
5.6%
Walk
3.7%
Work from Home
10.5%

Based on 679 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

Montana state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
94.6
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,336/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
33.3 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Big Timber, MT Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Big Timber, MT — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Big Timber compares to nearby Montana cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Big Timber) plus the nearest peer cities in Montana, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

MT

Big Timber

63.51% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$63,514
Brackets
2
Selected

MT

Baker

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$150
Brackets
2
Selected

MT

Sun Prairie

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$150
Brackets
2
Selected

MT

Thompson Falls

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$160
Brackets
2
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MT NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Big Timber, MT?

What is the population of Big Timber, MT? +

Big Timber, MT has a population of 1,530 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Big Timber, MT? +

The median household income in Big Timber is $63,514 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Big Timber? +

Big Timber has a cost of living index of 94.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

What is the median home value in Big Timber, MT? +

The median home value in Big Timber is $235,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Big Timber? +

Big Timber has an average annual temperature of 47.0°F, 16.9 inches of precipitation, and 54.6 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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