City profile · Montana · Census ACS 2023

South Browning, MT

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

1,852
Residents
$1,275
Median rent (state)

South Browning - the verdict

1,852 people call South Browning, Montana home. Source: Census ACS.

44th
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: South Browning, MT

1,852 people live in South Browning, Montana - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The median resident age is 27.6 years. 7.1% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 44.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

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 $1,275 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $175 across Montana, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 51.5 out of 100 (Low).

Population

1,852 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Montana

Median Household Income

N/A /yr

Poverty 38.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.6 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Montana average

How does South Browning compare to other US cities?

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

Median rent 44% 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 South Browning'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.

Income distribution context

Median household income is not available for South Browning in the current Census ACS release (common for very small places).

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 7.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 38.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 44.9%

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

Population
1,852
Median Income
N/A
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
27.6
Poverty Rate
38.9%
Labor force participation
44.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
7.1%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
69.9%
Carpool
27.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.1%
Work from Home
0.0%

Based on 569 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 South Browning sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.6
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,275/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
51.5 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Montana

East Helena
1,855 people
Pablo
1,808 people
Malta
1,902 people
Columbus
1,925 people
Lame Deer
1,939 people
Ronan
1,962 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to South Browning's 1,852 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Weston, MO
1,852 people
Jefferson, NC
1,852 people
Westwood, KS
1,851 people
Upper Pohatcong, NJ
1,851 people
Huntington Bay, NY
1,853 people
Manteo, NC
1,853 people

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - South Browning, 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 South Browning, MT - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 95.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.6% White 1.4% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 95.9% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.4% Two or more races 2.3% 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 South Browning 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
South Browning (this city) 1,852 N/A
East Helena 1,855 $53,611
Pablo 1,808 $38,430
Malta 1,902 $59,449
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MT OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about South Browning, MT?

What is the population of South Browning, MT? +

South Browning, MT has a population of 1,852 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the cost of living in South Browning? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for South Browning; 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.

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.

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.