City profile · Montana · Census ACS 2023

Fort Benton, MT

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

1,470
Residents
$67,171
Median income
$201,900
Median home
$1,307
Median rent (state)

Fort Benton - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Fort Benton places in the 46th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

46th
percentile, household income
43rd
percentile, home value
47th
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: Fort Benton, MT

Fort Benton is a small town in Montana, home to 1,470 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $67,171 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 1.1%. Fort Benton's housing stock carries a median value of $201,900, and the median resident age is 43.3 years. About 29.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 52.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 4 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Low Activity).

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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,307 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Montana's average monthly utility costs around $175 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 39.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

Population

1,470 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Montana

Median Household Income

$67,171 /yr

Poverty 1.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.6 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Montana average

How does Fort Benton compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 46% higher than other cities
Home value 43% pricier than other cities
Median rent 47% 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 Fort Benton'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.

46thIncome percentile

46th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Fort Benton's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$201,900 Among the most affordable more affordable than 57% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Fort Benton $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Fort Benton, MT Fort Benton, MT's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Fort Benton, MT-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Fort Benton, MT median $67,171/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern 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%
Fort Benton, MT's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Fort Benton, MT. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 29.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 52.7%

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

Population
1,470
Median Income
$67,171
Median Home Value
$201,900
Median Age
43.3
Poverty Rate
1.1%
Labor force participation
52.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
29.1%

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
1,400 residents1,420 residents1,440 residents1,460 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,454 residents 1,416 residents ▼ -2.6%
Fort Benton's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
4
housing units authorized
Single-Family
2
detached homes
Multifamily
2
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.7
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 1
2021 1
2022 2
2023 3
2024 4

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
69.1%
Carpool
15.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
10.3%
Work from Home
2.8%
Other
2.6%

Based on 564 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 Fort Benton sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.6
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,307/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
39.5 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Montana

Chinook
1,460 people
West Yellowstone
1,457 people
Bonner-West Riverside
1,445 people
Fort Belknap Agency
1,434 people
Sun Prairie
1,514 people
Big Timber
1,530 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Fort Benton's 1,470 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Leadville North, CO
1,470 people
Mishicot, WI
1,470 people
Smoke Rise, AL
1,469 people
Salem, AR
1,471 people
Van Meter, IA
1,469 people
Newport, ME
1,469 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Fort Benton's $67,171 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Brook Park, OH
$67,178 median income
Jennings Lodge, OR
$67,164 median income
Fremont, NE
$67,179 median income
Brutus, MI
$67,159 median income
Dupont, IN
$67,188 median income
Vernon, IN
$67,188 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Fort Benton, 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 Fort Benton, MT - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 94.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9.2% White 94.0% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.5% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.1% Two or more races 5.4% 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.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Fort Benton compares to nearby Montana cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Fort Benton (this city) 1,470 $67,171
Chinook 1,460 $71,500
West Yellowstone 1,457 $57,167
Bonner-West Riverside 1,445 $59,609
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MT NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Fort Benton, MT?

What is the population of Fort Benton, MT? +

Fort Benton, MT has a population of 1,470 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Fort Benton, MT? +

Fort Benton households earn a median of $67,171 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Fort Benton? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Fort Benton; 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.

What is the median home value in Fort Benton, MT? +

The median home value in Fort Benton is $201,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.

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

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Every 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.