City profile · Montana · Census ACS 2023

Pray, MT

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

1,018
Residents
$102,143
Median income
$601,400
Median home
$1,605
Median rent (state)

Pray - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Pray lands in the 79th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

79th
percentile, household income
89th
percentile, home value
64th
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: Pray, MT

Pray is a small town in Montana, home to 1,018 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Pray brings in $102,143 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 5.9%. Typical homes in Pray are valued around $601,400, and the median resident age is 59.1 years. About 32.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 41.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 2 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

Living costs in Montana run below the national norm: the state registers 94.6 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,605 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $175 across Montana, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 66.3 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).

Population

1,018 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Montana

Median Household Income

$102,143 /yr

Poverty 5.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.6 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Montana average

How does Pray compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 79% higher than other cities
Home value 89% pricier than other cities
Median rent 64% 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 Pray'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.

79thIncome percentile

79th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Pray's home value compares nationally

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

$601,400 11th percentile more affordable than 11% 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%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Pray $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 - Pray, MT Pray, MT's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Pray, 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 Pray, MT median $102,143/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%
Pray, 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 Pray, MT. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 32.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 41.1%

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

Population
1,018
Median Income
$102,143
Median Home Value
$601,400
Median Age
59.1
Poverty Rate
5.9%
Labor force participation
41.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
32.3%

Schools

Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
64.7%
Carpool
8.9%
Public Transit
4.7%
Walk
1.7%
Work from Home
16.4%
Other
3.6%

Based on 360 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 Pray sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.6
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,605/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
66.3 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Montana

Helena Flats
1,014 people
Philipsburg
1,012 people
Absarokee
998 people
Superior
995 people
Florence
993 people
Browning
990 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Pray's 1,018 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Cohutta, GA
1,018 people
West Marion, NC
1,018 people
Botkins, OH
1,018 people
Fairfax, OK
1,018 people
Trezevant, TN
1,018 people
Stebbins, CA
1,017 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Pray's $102,143 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Oakley, UT
$102,143 median income
Parsippany, NJ
$102,152 median income
Orangetree, FL
$102,133 median income
Whitmore, HI
$102,155 median income
Park Hills, KY
$102,112 median income
Edenburg, PA
$102,109 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Pray, 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 Pray, MT - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 86.5% 12.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1.3% White 86.5% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.7% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.3% Two or more races 12.5% 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 Pray 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
Pray (this city) 1,018 $102,143
Helena Flats 1,014 $88,125
Philipsburg 1,012 $40,096
Absarokee 998 $57,212
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MT NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Pray, MT?

What is the population of Pray, MT? +

Pray, MT counts 1,018 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Pray is $102,143 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Pray? +

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

Pray's median home value sits at $601,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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

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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.