Custer County, Montana
Custer County is a county located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 11,867.[1] Its county seat and largest town is Miles City.[2] The county was established after the end of the American Civil War (1861–1865), on June 2, 1865, as one of the nine original counties of the new western federal Territory of Montana, which had been formed the previous May 1864 by the United States Congress, with the approval of 16th President Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865, served 1861–1865). It was originally named Big Horn County of the old Montana Territory,[3] and was renamed on February 16, 1877, in honor of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer (1839–1876), commander of the famous 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, recently massacred and killed in the nearby Battle of the Little Bighorn, in the later portion of the American Indian Wars, the year before in June 1876.[4]
Geography
[edit]According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,793 square miles (9,820 km2), of which 3,783 square miles (9,800 km2) is land and 9.9 square miles (26 km2) (0.3%) is water.[5]
Climate
[edit]According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Custer County has a mostly cold semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.
Major highways
[edit]
Transit
[edit]Adjacent counties
[edit]- Prairie County – north
- Fallon County – east
- Carter County – southeast
- Powder River County – south
- Rosebud County – west
- Garfield County – northwest
Demographics
[edit]2020 census
[edit]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 11,867. Of the residents, 22.1% were under the age of 18 and 20.5% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 41.0 years. For every 100 females there were 101.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.0 males. 77.8% of residents lived in urban areas and 22.2% lived in rural areas.[6]
The racial makeup of the county was 91.3% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 1.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.9% from some other race, and 5.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.1% of the population.[7]
There were 5,024 households in the county, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 27.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[8]
There were 5,776 housing units, of which 13.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 66.8% were owner-occupied and 33.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.7%.[8]
2010 census
[edit]As of the 2010 census, there were 11,699 people, 5,031 households, and 3,014 families living in the county. The population density was 3.1 inhabitants per square mile (1.2/km2). There were 5,560 housing units at an average density of 1.5 per square mile (0.58/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.5% white, 1.7% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 33.6% were German, 18.3% were Irish, 14.3% were American, 14.1% were Norwegian, and 10.6% were English.
Of the 5,031 households, 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 40.1% were non-families, and 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 42.1 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,913 and the median income for a family was $49,011. Males had a median income of $37,535 versus $26,576 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,676. About 12.4% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
[edit]Custer County is a staunchly Republican county, like many others in eastern Montana, increasingly so in recent elections. The last Democrat to carry the county was Lyndon Johnson in 1964.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 680 | 52.67% | 537 | 41.60% | 74 | 5.73% |
| 1896 | 723 | 51.50% | 676 | 48.15% | 5 | 0.36% |
| 1900 | 980 | 66.94% | 477 | 32.58% | 7 | 0.48% |
| 1904 | 824 | 72.22% | 285 | 24.98% | 32 | 2.80% |
| 1908 | 967 | 60.66% | 531 | 33.31% | 96 | 6.02% |
| 1912 | 695 | 21.70% | 1,068 | 33.34% | 1,440 | 44.96% |
| 1916 | 1,615 | 37.05% | 2,602 | 59.69% | 142 | 3.26% |
| 1920 | 2,347 | 64.53% | 1,127 | 30.99% | 163 | 4.48% |
| 1924 | 1,654 | 43.78% | 412 | 10.91% | 1,712 | 45.31% |
| 1928 | 2,503 | 64.08% | 1,386 | 35.48% | 17 | 0.44% |
| 1932 | 1,675 | 36.99% | 2,729 | 60.27% | 124 | 2.74% |
| 1936 | 1,381 | 29.30% | 3,196 | 67.81% | 136 | 2.89% |
| 1940 | 2,017 | 41.73% | 2,782 | 57.55% | 35 | 0.72% |
| 1944 | 1,830 | 46.96% | 2,038 | 52.30% | 29 | 0.74% |
| 1948 | 1,845 | 43.28% | 2,359 | 55.34% | 59 | 1.38% |
| 1952 | 3,461 | 62.53% | 2,050 | 37.04% | 24 | 0.43% |
| 1956 | 3,240 | 58.30% | 2,317 | 41.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,943 | 55.00% | 2,393 | 44.72% | 15 | 0.28% |
| 1964 | 2,302 | 45.13% | 2,790 | 54.70% | 9 | 0.18% |
| 1968 | 2,831 | 58.06% | 1,760 | 36.10% | 285 | 5.84% |
| 1972 | 3,486 | 63.31% | 1,875 | 34.05% | 145 | 2.63% |
| 1976 | 3,120 | 55.25% | 2,425 | 42.94% | 102 | 1.81% |
| 1980 | 3,533 | 60.75% | 1,822 | 31.33% | 461 | 7.93% |
| 1984 | 3,879 | 65.53% | 1,982 | 33.49% | 58 | 0.98% |
| 1988 | 3,007 | 55.05% | 2,343 | 42.90% | 112 | 2.05% |
| 1992 | 2,105 | 37.52% | 1,968 | 35.07% | 1,538 | 27.41% |
| 1996 | 2,467 | 46.29% | 2,115 | 39.69% | 747 | 14.02% |
| 2000 | 3,156 | 64.34% | 1,501 | 30.60% | 248 | 5.06% |
| 2004 | 3,297 | 65.31% | 1,630 | 32.29% | 121 | 2.40% |
| 2008 | 3,047 | 55.89% | 2,267 | 41.58% | 138 | 2.53% |
| 2012 | 3,373 | 62.87% | 1,833 | 34.17% | 159 | 2.96% |
| 2016 | 3,657 | 70.53% | 1,176 | 22.68% | 352 | 6.79% |
| 2020 | 4,205 | 71.76% | 1,514 | 25.84% | 141 | 2.41% |
| 2024 | 4,208 | 72.46% | 1,385 | 23.85% | 214 | 3.69% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
Economy
[edit]Agriculture (dryland farming) and cattle raising provide the bulk of Custer County economy.[12] Miles City serves as the center of commerce in an area extending for 100 miles in every direction.[13] As of 2009 the county's largest employers were Holy Rosary Healthcare, Sanjel USA, Stockman Bank, and Walmart.[13]
Communities
[edit]
City
[edit]- Miles City (county seat)
Town
[edit]Unincorporated communities
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ Big Horn County, Montana Territory was not the same county as present-day Big Horn County, Montana of statehood status.
- ↑ "A Brief Custer County History". Custer County Montana. Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
- ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
- ↑ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- ↑ Jacobsen, Christi (November 5, 2024). "2024 STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION CANVASS". Secretary of State of Montana. Archived from the original on September 24, 2025. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
- ↑ Jacobsen, Christi (November 5, 2024). "2024 STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION CANVASS ABSTRACT OF WRITE-IN VOTES". Secretary of State of Montana. Archived from the original on September 24, 2025. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
- ↑ Merrill, Andrea; Judy Jacobson (1997). Montana almanac. Helena MT: Falcon Publishing. ISBN 1-56044-493-2.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Montana Dept. of Labor and Industry (September 2010). "Demographic & Economic Information for Custer County" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 6, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
- ↑ Template:GNIS
- ↑ Template:GNIS
- ↑ Template:GNIS
- ↑ Template:GNIS
Template:Custer County, Montana Template:Montana Coordinates: 46°16′N 105°35′W / 46.27°N 105.58°W