City profile · Montana · Census ACS 2023

North Browning, MT

North Browning's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

2,894
Residents
$40,813
Median income
$131,300
Median home
$1,336
Median rent (state)
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Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.

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See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for North Browning.

Place dossier plate

Sheet MT-NORTH-BROWNING-MT · North Browning, MT 2,894 pop · income 8th pct · 4 tracts

POP-VILLAGE · INC-LOW · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-FEW

  • POP-VILLAGE 2,894
  • INC-LOW $40,813
  • COL-BELOW 94.6
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 8th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Walsenburg
  • HOME-LOW $131,300
  • BOOK-FEW 4 tracts

Nearest income peer: Walsenburg, CO ( $14 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around North Browning

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest North Browning on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for North Browning on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 2,894.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $40,813. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

North Browning - the verdict

Nationally, North Browning sits in the 8th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

8th
percentile, household income
21st
percentile, home value
61st
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: North Browning, MT

Montana's North Browning is a small town, with 2,894 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $40,813 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 22.4%. North Browning's housing stock carries a median value of $131,300, and the median resident age is 26.9 years. 17.1% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 46.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,336 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Montana's average monthly utility costs around $175 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 33.3 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of North Browning's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to work and mobility to within-city variation to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For North Browning, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles. No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, annual population history, matched public-school count; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

Which cities make useful reference points for North Browning?

Within Montana, the closest population matches are Montana (2,899 residents, $125,223 income); Libby (2,948 residents, $39,261 income); Deer Lodge (3,035 residents, $53,676 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are New Hope, AL (2,895 residents); Chandler, OK (2,893 residents); McChord AFB, WA (2,895 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

2. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in North Browning?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 81.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Compare commute patterns →

3. Within-city variation

What can 4 Census tracts reveal inside North Browning?

That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.

PlainCities matches 4 Census tracts to this city.

Explore North Browning's tract profiles →

Question 4

How far does income reach against housing in North Browning?

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 22.4%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

2,894 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$40,813 /yr

Lowest-decile income · poverty 22.4% (Highest-decile poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.6 (US=100)

Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Montana average

City profile score · North Browning, MT

26/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Cost of living B-
94.6 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Bachelor's+ share F
17.1%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Poverty rate F
22.4%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Household income F
$40,813

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

North Browning profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share, Poverty rate, Household income. Cost of livingBachelor's+ sharePoverty rateHousehold income 26 F
North Browning profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 66/100 (B-) · 94.6 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 26/100 (F) · 17.1%
  • Poverty rate: 9/100 (F) · 22.4%
  • Household income: 8/100 (F) · $40,813

How does North Browning compare to other US cities?

Here's how North Browning stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 8% higher than other cities
Home value 21% pricier than other cities
Median rent 61% 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 North Browning against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Montana only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Montana-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places North Browning near the bottom of Montana's cities

Among the 317 Montana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, North Browning ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares North Browning only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#245 of 282
13th percentile in Montana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 317
0th percentile in Montana
Median Home Value
#226 of 279
19th percentile in Montana
Poverty Rate
#50 of 315
84th percentile in Montana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#212 of 317
33rd percentile in Montana
How in-state ranks are ordered

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.

8thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

8th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How North Browning's home value compares nationally

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

$131,300 Among the most affordable more affordable than 79% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $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%). This entry sits in this band. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $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. North Browning $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

North Browning's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.2×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,773 of 15,516
More affordable than 50% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#6,406 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 3.2×, North Browning sits in the moderate band: national rank #7,773 of 15,516 and #6,406 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$40,813 North Browning, MT median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - North Browning, MT North Browning, MT's median household income ($40,813) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not North Browning, MT-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution North Browning, MT median $40,813/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%
North Browning, MT median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for North Browning, MT.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 17.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 22.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 46.5%

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

Population
2,894
Median Income
$40,813
Median Home Value
$131,300
Median Age
26.9
Poverty Rate
22.4%
Labor force participation
46.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
17.1%

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
81.4%
Carpool
6.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
7.2%
Work from Home
3.8%
Other
1.3%

Based on 891 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Montana statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $175

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Montana at $175 (electricity about $80 , water and sewer about $40 ).

These are Montana statewide averages, not a meter reading for North Browning. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Montana's BEA cost-of-living index is 94.6 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around North Browning is $1,336/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Montana statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 33.3 / 100 (Very Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Montana statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county North Browning sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How North Browning compares to similar-size Montana cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
North Browning (this city) 2,894 $40,813
Montana 2,899 $125,223
Libby 2,948 $39,261
Deer Lodge 3,035 $53,676
Primary sources on this page

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

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

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.

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