Town · Montana
Sunburst, Montana
Sunburst, town, in Toole County, Montana. Sunburst had 356 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 6.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 333 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 301 (±101). GEOID 3072175.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
356
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 333 · ACS 2020-2024: 301 ±101
Median household income
$65,938
±$11,392 (90% margin)
Montana: $72,509
Median home value
$139,600
±$29,372 (90% margin)
Montana: $375,800
Median gross rent
$1,094
±$109 (90% margin)
Montana: $1,081
Where is Sunburst and what county is it in?
Sunburst is a town in Toole County, Montana. It covers 1.9 square miles of land, 174 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 Sunburst, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 356 people lived in Sunburst on July 1, 2025, up 6.0% since 2020, in line with Montana (+5.6%). The 2020 Census counted 333 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 301 (±101).
| Measure | Sunburst | Toole County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 301 ±101 | 5,061 | no clear change |
| Households | 118 ±34 | 1,852 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.55 ±0.58 | 2.40 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 153 ±37 | 2,322 | no clear change |
Sunburst's population since 2000
From 415 in 2000 to 356 in 2025: down 14.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Sunburst as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
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 Sunburst?
The median resident of Sunburst is 42.0 years old; 23.6% are under 18 and 17.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.0%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 5.3%.
| Measure | Sunburst | Toole County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.0 ±15.4 | 37.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.6% ±10.3 pts | 21.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.9% ±7.9 pts | 18.0% | – |
| Male | 59.1% ±9.8 pts | 59.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.7% ±1.0 pts | 4.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 89.0% ±12.5 pts | 82.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.9 pts | 1.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 5.3% ±7.2 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.3% ±6.0 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.5 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.3% ±4.9 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.5% ±3.7 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.9% ±6.1 pts | 11.8% | – |
| With a disability | 14.3% ±9.6 pts | 17.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.3% ±4.7 pts | 8.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.7% ±5.4 pts | 86.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.3% ±10.3 pts | 22.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 12.2% ±7.7 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 76.1% ±14.8 pts | 80.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.7% ±5.5 pts | 4.4% | – |
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 Sunburst earn?
Half of Sunburst's 118 households earn less than $65,938 a year (±$11,392), against $57,731 in Toole County and $72,509 in Montana. In 2015-2019 it was $83,328 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Sunburst | Toole County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,938 ±$11,392 | $57,731 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $79,628 ±$11,825 | $80,358 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,288 ±$7,888 | $36,252 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 14.6% ±17.4 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 9.9% ±16.8 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 7.6% ±8.2 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.8% ±4.2 pts | 95.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.4% ±6.4 pts | 88.1% | – |
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 Sunburst?
Owners occupy 86.4% of Sunburst's occupied homes and renters 13.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $139,600 by its owner (±$29,372). The median renter pays $1,094 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Sunburst | Toole County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $139,600 ±$29,372 | $218,400 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,094 ±$109 | $826 | +$257 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 35.7% ±43.3 pts | 32.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,234 ±$264 | $1,378 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.4% ±8.7 pts | 63.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.6% ±8.7 pts | 36.9% | – |
| Housing units | 153 ±37 | 2,322 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±25.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±71.2 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 81.7% ±9.4 pts | 75.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 18.3% ±9.4 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±17.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.2% ±6.3 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 24.8% ±10.2 pts | 20.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0% ±22.2 pts | 7.3% | – |
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 Sunburst work and get to work?
60.5% of Sunburst's workers drive alone and 10.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 11.9 minutes.
| Measure | Sunburst | Toole County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 74.8% ±6.7 pts | 56.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 15.7% ±19.6 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 60.5% ±11.1 pts | 70.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.5% ±6.4 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±18.4 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Walked | 15.0% ±7.2 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.9% ±6.1 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 11.9 min ±3.2 | 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 Sunburst?
No census tract lies mostly in Sunburst; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1Toole County | 1,098 | $80,917 |
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 Sunburst) · Census block assignment files
How does Sunburst compare with other places in Montana?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Sunburst is the 14,555th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 89th-most populous of 127 in Montana.
Sunburst is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 89th | 127 |
Sunburst's figures with every place in Montana (CSV)
Every place in Montana, sortable · Compare Sunburst 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 Sunburst?
23 of the 57 figures for Sunburst 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 Sunburst 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' public schools in Sunburst.