Census-designated place · Montana
Lame Deer, Montana
Lame Deer, census-designated place, in Rosebud County, Montana. Lame Deer had 1,897 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,872 (±236). GEOID 3042250.
Residents, 2020 Census
1,897
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 1,872 ±236
Median household income
$23,700
±$4,411 (90% margin)
Montana: $72,509
Median home value
$111,100
±$12,134 (90% margin)
Montana: $375,800
Median gross rent
$558
±$164 (90% margin)
Montana: $1,081
Where is Lame Deer and what county is it in?
Lame Deer is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Rosebud County, Montana. It covers 55.6 square miles of land, 34 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 Lame Deer, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 1,897 residents in Lame Deer, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 1,872 (±236).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Lame Deer is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Lame Deer | Rosebud County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,872 ±236 | 8,165 | no clear change |
| Households | 484 ±74 | 3,070 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.85 ±0.60 | 2.63 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 633 ±82 | 3,779 | no clear change |
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 Lame Deer?
The median resident of Lame Deer is 22.3 years old; 40.5% are under 18 and 7.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 93.5%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 2.8%.
| Measure | Lame Deer | Rosebud County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 22.3 ±1.0 | 38.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 40.5% ±4.3 pts | 28.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 7.8% ±2.2 pts | 17.6% | – |
| Male | 53.6% ±4.4 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.0% ±0.7 pts | 3.7% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 2.8% ±1.4 pts | 51.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 2.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 93.5% ±3.5 pts | 36.8% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.7% ±2.9 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±1.6 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 14.0% ±5.2 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.8% ±4.0 pts | 12.6% | – |
| With a disability | 11.5% ±3.8 pts | 16.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 36.9% ±12.1 pts | 16.2% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 81.7% ±7.4 pts | 90.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 10.8% ±3.8 pts | 20.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.4% ±3.0 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.3% ±3.1 pts | 93.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 1.3% | – |
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 Lame Deer earn?
Half of Lame Deer's 484 households earn less than $23,700 a year (±$4,411), against $49,914 in Rosebud County and $72,509 in Montana. In 2015-2019 the median was $62,513 in 2024 dollars, so it fell by $38,813 after inflation. 55.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Lame Deer | Rosebud County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $23,700 ±$4,411 | $49,914 | −$38,813 |
| Mean household income | $41,995 ±$9,873 | $76,442 | – |
| Per capita income | $11,335 ±$2,240 | $29,231 | −$7,885 |
| People below the poverty line | 55.8% ±11.7 pts | 24.5% | +26.1 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 68.9% ±16.7 pts | 37.8% | +38.7 pts |
| Households receiving SNAP | 32.9% ±10.2 pts | 13.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 77.3% ±7.9 pts | 87.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 69.4% ±9.6 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 Lame Deer?
Owners occupy 56.2% of Lame Deer's occupied homes and renters 43.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $111,100 by its owner (±$12,134). The median renter pays $558 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Lame Deer | Rosebud County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $111,100 ±$12,134 | $182,400 | +$33,320 |
| Median gross rent | $558 ±$164 | $672 | −$233 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 22.6% ±18.9 pts | 30.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,120 ±$130 | $1,361 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 56.2% ±8.6 pts | 63.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 43.8% ±8.6 pts | 36.4% | – |
| Housing units | 633 ±82 | 3,779 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±10.4 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 9.0% ±6.0 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 69.2% ±8.0 pts | 62.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 13.6% ±5.6 pts | 17.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±4.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.6% ±2.5 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 3.9% ±2.4 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 14.5% ±8.2 pts | 7.9% | – |
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 do people in Lame Deer work and get to work?
80.4% of Lame Deer's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 11.9 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 42.2%.
| Measure | Lame Deer | Rosebud County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 44.7% ±6.8 pts | 58.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 42.2% ±10.3 pts | 10.6% | +28.8 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 80.4% ±8.8 pts | 73.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.7% ±5.6 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±9.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 4.7% ±4.8 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 9.2% ±6.8 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 11.9 min ±6.7 | 15.5 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 Lame Deer?
No census tract lies mostly in Lame Deer; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9404Rosebud County | 2,705 | $34,318 |
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 Lame Deer) · Census block assignment files
How does Lame Deer compare with other places in Montana?
Lame Deer ranks 90th of 90 places in Montana with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 61st | 93 |
| Residents per square mile | 90th | 93 |
| Median household income | 90th | 90 |
| Per capita income | 92nd | 93 |
| Median home value | 87th | 89 |
| Median gross rent | 76th | 82 |
| Poverty rate | 1st | 65 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 87th | 90 |
| Median age | 93rd | 93 |
| Owner-occupied share | 74th | 92 |
| Travel time to work | 82nd | 93 |
Lame Deer's figures with every place in Montana (CSV)
Every place in Montana, sortable · Compare Lame Deer 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 Lame Deer?
19 of the 57 figures for Lame Deer 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 Lame Deer 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' school search.