City profile · Montana · Census ACS 2023

Heron, MT

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

312
Residents
$29,357
Median income
$415,400
Median home
$1,170
Median rent (state)

Heron - the verdict

Nationally, Heron sits in the 2nd percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

2nd
percentile, household income
79th
percentile, home value
34th
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: Heron, MT

Montana's Heron is a small town, with 312 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Heron households earn a median of $29,357 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 49.4%. Typical homes in Heron are valued around $415,400, and the median resident age is 31.7 years. About 36.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 36.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

NOAA puts Heron's yearly average temperature at 45.1°F with 34.2 inches of precipitation per year and 84.3 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in Montana run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Montana at 94.6 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,170 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Montana's average monthly utility costs around $175 (state average). Workers in Heron report an average commute of 17.0 minutes, with 78.8% driving alone and 21.3% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 64.3 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).

Population

312 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Montana

Median Household Income

$29,357 /yr

Poverty 49.4%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.6 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Montana average

How does Heron compare to other US cities?

Heron measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 2% higher than other cities
Home value 79% pricier than other cities
Median rent 34% 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

Each percentile compares Heron against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Montana only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Montana-relative analysis

Poverty Rate is Heron's strongest outlier among Montana cities

Among the 315 Montana cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Heron ranks #9 - the 97th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Heron only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#272 of 282
4th percentile in Montana
Median Gross Rent
#268 of 317
12th percentile in Montana
Median Home Value
#53 of 279
81st percentile in Montana
Poverty Rate
#9 of 315
97th percentile in Montana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#58 of 317
81st percentile in Montana

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Montana only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

2ndIncome percentile

2nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Heron's home value compares nationally

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

$415,400 21st percentile more affordable than 21% 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%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Heron $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 - Heron, MT Heron, MT's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Heron, 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 Heron, MT median $29,357/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%
Heron, 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 Heron, MT. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 36.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 49.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 36.7%

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

Population
312
Median Income
$29,357
Median Home Value
$415,400
Median Age
31.7
Poverty Rate
49.4%
Labor force participation
36.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
36.1%

Climate

Avg Temperature
45.1°F
Annual Precipitation
34.2"
Annual Snowfall
84.3"

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
17.0 minutes
Drive Alone
78.8%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
21.3%

Based on 80 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 Heron sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.6
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,170/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
64.3 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Montana

Bainville
313 people
Martin
313 people
Yaak
310 people
Nashua
309 people
New Miami Colony
309 people
Fallon
305 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Heron's 312 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Waverly, AL
312 people
Copper Center, AK
312 people
Oden, AR
312 people
Martinton, IL
312 people
Ransom, IL
312 people
Akron, MI
312 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Heron's $29,357 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Enigma, GA
$29,375 median income
Balmorhea, TX
$29,375 median income
Mitchellville, AR
$29,398 median income
Prescott, AR
$29,403 median income
Dunnell, MN
$29,408 median income
Clarence, MO
$29,306 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Heron, 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 Heron, MT - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 98.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1.3% White 98.7% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 1.3% 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.

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

How Heron 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
Heron (this city) 312 $29,357
Bainville 313 $115,000
Martin 313 N/A
Yaak 310 $56,250
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MT NOAA Normals OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Heron, MT?

What is the population of Heron, MT? +

Heron, MT counts 312 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Heron, MT? +

In Heron, the typical household earns $29,357 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Heron? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Heron; 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 Heron, MT? +

Heron's median home value sits at $415,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Heron? +

Heron has an average annual temperature of 45.1°F, 34.2 inches of precipitation, and 84.3 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

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