City · Montana
Hardin, Montana
Hardin, city, in Big Horn County, Montana. Hardin had 3,696 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,818 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,742 (±24). GEOID 3034225.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
3,696
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,818 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,742 ±24
Median household income
$60,423
±$3,613 (90% margin)
Montana: $72,509
Median home value
$147,100
±$15,975 (90% margin)
Montana: $375,800
Median gross rent
$771
±$224 (90% margin)
Montana: $1,081
Where is Hardin and what county is it in?
Hardin is a city in Big Horn County, Montana. It covers 3.0 square miles of land, 1,284 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 Hardin, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,696 people lived in Hardin on July 1, 2025, down 2.9% since 2020, while Montana grew 5.6%. The 2020 Census counted 3,818 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,742 (±24).
| Measure | Hardin | Big Horn County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,742 ±24 | 12,891 | −66 |
| Households | 1,394 ±182 | 3,827 | +232 |
| Average household size | 2.57 ±0.32 | 3.32 | −0.62 |
| Housing units | 1,478 ±192 | 4,527 | no clear change |
Hardin's population since 2000
From 3,384 in 2000 to 3,696 in 2025: up 9.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Hardin 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 Hardin?
The median resident of Hardin is 37.1 years old; 23.1% are under 18 and 13.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 43.6%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 41.9%.
| Measure | Hardin | Big Horn County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.1 ±7.7 | 31.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.1% ±5.6 pts | 31.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.7% ±4.0 pts | 14.1% | – |
| Male | 52.8% ±4.4 pts | 49.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 11.9% ±2.8 pts | 4.7% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 41.9% ±8.1 pts | 27.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 43.6% ±9.1 pts | 66.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.2% ±2.1 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.8% ±1.8 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 13.8% ±6.9 pts | 22.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.5% ±3.1 pts | 5.5% | – |
| With a disability | 18.1% ±4.9 pts | 13.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.1% ±6.8 pts | 21.7% | −14.4 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.1% ±4.8 pts | 89.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.5% ±6.7 pts | 17.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.4% ±3.7 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 82.1% ±9.6 pts | 89.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.8% ±3.6 pts | 2.4% | – |
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 Hardin earn?
Half of Hardin's 1,394 households earn less than $60,423 a year (±$3,613), against $58,750 in Big Horn County and $72,509 in Montana. In 2015-2019 it was $56,801 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Hardin | Big Horn County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,423 ±$3,613 | $58,750 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $72,441 ±$9,347 | $73,453 | – |
| Per capita income | $27,737 ±$3,983 | $22,861 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 7.2% ±5.8 pts | 22.1% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 5.2% ±8.5 pts | 27.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 16.9% ±9.0 pts | 17.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.9% ±6.3 pts | 89.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.8% ±7.5 pts | 82.7% | – |
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 Hardin?
Owners occupy 54.1% of Hardin's occupied homes and renters 45.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $147,100 by its owner (±$15,975). The median renter pays $771 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Hardin | Big Horn County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $147,100 ±$15,975 | $143,400 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $771 ±$224 | $697 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 12.6% ±9.2 pts | 13.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,587 ±$413 | $1,522 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 54.1% ±10.4 pts | 66.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 45.9% ±10.4 pts | 33.3% | – |
| Housing units | 1,478 ±192 | 4,527 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±3.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.8% ±5.7 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 59.9% ±10.8 pts | 69.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 13.3% ±6.4 pts | 19.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 19.6% ±8.1 pts | 11.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.8% ±6.6 pts | 6.9% | – |
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 many new homes is Hardin building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Hardin in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 4.6 across Montana.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Hardin work and get to work?
67.8% of Hardin's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 18.0 minutes.
| Measure | Hardin | Big Horn County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.6% ±7.4 pts | 57.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% ±4.0 pts | 13.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 67.8% ±11.9 pts | 66.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 23.3% ±11.9 pts | 17.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 6.7% ±4.6 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.1% ±1.5 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 18.0 min ±4.5 | 19.6 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 Hardin?
No census tract lies mostly in Hardin; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1Big Horn County | 4,555 | $60,389 |
| Tract 9406Big Horn County | 3,300 | $55,625 |
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 Hardin) · Census block assignment files
How does Hardin compare with other places in Montana?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Hardin is the 5,719th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 22nd-most populous of 127 in Montana.
Hardin ranks 56th of 90 places in Montana with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 22nd | 127 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 49th | 53 |
| Residents per square mile | 40th | 93 |
| Median household income | 56th | 90 |
| Per capita income | 75th | 93 |
| Median home value | 85th | 89 |
| Median gross rent | 64th | 82 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 65th | 90 |
| Median age | 64th | 93 |
| Owner-occupied share | 82nd | 92 |
| Travel time to work | 45th | 93 |
Hardin's figures with every place in Montana (CSV)
Every place in Montana, sortable · Compare Hardin 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 Hardin?
19 of the 57 figures for Hardin 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 Hardin 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 Hardin.