Carter County, Montana | |
|---|---|
 Carter County Courthouse in Ekalaka | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMontana | |
| Coordinates:45°30′N104°32′W / 45.5°N 104.54°W /45.5; -104.54 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Montana |
| Founded | 1917 |
| Named after | Thomas H. Carter |
| Seat | Ekalaka |
| Largest town | Ekalaka |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,348 sq mi (8,670 km2) |
| • Land | 3,341 sq mi (8,650 km2) |
| • Water | 7.5 sq mi (19 km2) 0.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,415 |
• Estimate (2024) | 1,399 |
| • Density | 0.4235/sq mi (0.1635/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
| |
Carter County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofMontana. As of the2020 census, the population was 1,415,[1] making it the seventh-least populous county in Montana. Thecounty seat isEkalaka.[2]
Carter County was named forThomas Henry Carter, the state's first congressman (representative in Congress from theMontana Territory, followed by first representative from the state of Montana to the US House of Representatives). Prior to settlement the land of Carter County was occupied by theSioux tribe.[3]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,348 square miles (8,670 km2), of which 3,341 square miles (8,650 km2) is land and 7.5 square miles (19 km2) (0.2%) is water.[4]
Medicine Rocks State Park is located 14 miles north of Ekalaka. Weathering has given the rocks an unusual texture. The site was used by Indian hunting parties.[5]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 3,972 | — | |
| 1930 | 4,136 | 4.1% | |
| 1940 | 3,280 | −20.7% | |
| 1950 | 2,798 | −14.7% | |
| 1960 | 2,493 | −10.9% | |
| 1970 | 1,956 | −21.5% | |
| 1980 | 1,799 | −8.0% | |
| 1990 | 1,503 | −16.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,360 | −9.5% | |
| 2010 | 1,160 | −14.7% | |
| 2020 | 1,415 | 22.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 1,399 | [6] | −1.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960,[8] 1900–1990,[9] 1990–2000,[10] 2010–2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 1,415. Of the residents, 23.1% were under the age of 18 and 26.7% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 43.1 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.5 males. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.[11][12]
Females comprised 50.1% of the population, while males accounted for 49.9%.[13]
The racial makeup of the county was 95.2%White, 0.0%Black or African American, 0.5%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Asian, 0.3% from some other race, and 4.0% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 0.8% of the population.[14]
There were 593 households in the county, of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 20.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 817 housing units, of which 27.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.8% were owner-occupied and 27.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.6%.[12]
The median household income was $48,000, $6,970 below the median of Montana. 61.7% of the population aged over 16 were in the civilian labor force. 14.7% of the population were classed as living in poverty. 2.4% of the population had a disability. 92.5% of the population graduated from high school, with 20.2% obtaining a bachelor's degree or higher. 86.5% of households had a computer, with 77.9% having broadband access.[13]
As of the2010 census, there were 1,160 people, 532 households, and 354 families living in the county. The population density was 0.3 inhabitants per square mile (0.12/km2). There were 810 housing units at an average density of 0.2 per square mile (0.077/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.8% white, 0.9% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 41.5% wereGerman, 19.6% wereEnglish, 18.8% wereNorwegian, 12.3% wereIrish, and 4.3% wereAmerican.
Of the 532 households, 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.5% were non-families, and 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.65. The median age was 50.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,703 and the median income for a family was $47,955. Males had a median income of $26,736 versus $18,274 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,681. About 8.5% of families and 14.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
Carter County has voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election since1952, withHarry S. Truman being the last Democrat to carry thecounty.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1920 | 782 | 66.84% | 342 | 29.23% | 46 | 3.93% |
| 1924 | 669 | 54.17% | 283 | 22.91% | 283 | 22.91% |
| 1928 | 763 | 64.01% | 420 | 35.23% | 9 | 0.76% |
| 1932 | 565 | 37.39% | 915 | 60.56% | 31 | 2.05% |
| 1936 | 464 | 32.81% | 929 | 65.70% | 21 | 1.49% |
| 1940 | 556 | 43.03% | 734 | 56.81% | 2 | 0.15% |
| 1944 | 507 | 45.35% | 610 | 54.56% | 1 | 0.09% |
| 1948 | 501 | 46.22% | 568 | 52.40% | 15 | 1.38% |
| 1952 | 921 | 72.12% | 351 | 27.49% | 5 | 0.39% |
| 1956 | 698 | 61.55% | 436 | 38.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 688 | 64.00% | 383 | 35.63% | 4 | 0.37% |
| 1964 | 576 | 55.98% | 453 | 44.02% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 624 | 62.21% | 269 | 26.82% | 110 | 10.97% |
| 1972 | 726 | 73.86% | 218 | 22.18% | 39 | 3.97% |
| 1976 | 558 | 57.41% | 344 | 35.39% | 70 | 7.20% |
| 1980 | 766 | 72.40% | 237 | 22.40% | 55 | 5.20% |
| 1984 | 823 | 80.06% | 194 | 18.87% | 11 | 1.07% |
| 1988 | 686 | 72.82% | 242 | 25.69% | 14 | 1.49% |
| 1992 | 497 | 56.86% | 154 | 17.62% | 223 | 25.51% |
| 1996 | 522 | 68.24% | 150 | 19.61% | 93 | 12.16% |
| 2000 | 573 | 88.84% | 53 | 8.22% | 19 | 2.95% |
| 2004 | 623 | 87.87% | 76 | 10.72% | 10 | 1.41% |
| 2008 | 573 | 79.36% | 111 | 15.37% | 38 | 5.26% |
| 2012 | 678 | 85.18% | 96 | 12.06% | 22 | 2.76% |
| 2016 | 678 | 86.26% | 70 | 8.91% | 38 | 4.83% |
| 2020 | 775 | 89.70% | 74 | 8.56% | 15 | 1.74% |
| 2024 | 760 | 88.99% | 75 | 8.78% | 19 | 2.22% |
Places adjacent to Carter County, Montana | |
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Municipalities and communities ofCarter County, Montana,United States | ||
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| Town |  | |
| CDP | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
