Carbon County, Montana | |
|---|---|
 Palisades | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMontana | |
| Coordinates:45°14′N109°01′W / 45.23°N 109.02°W /45.23; -109.02 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Montana |
| Founded | March 4, 1895 |
| Seat | Red Lodge |
| Largest city | Red Lodge |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,062 sq mi (5,340 km2) |
| • Land | 2,049 sq mi (5,310 km2) |
| • Water | 13 sq mi (34 km2) 0.6% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 10,473 |
• Estimate (2024) | 11,498 |
| • Density | 5.111/sq mi (1.973/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | co |
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Carbon County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofMontana. As of the2020 census, the population was 10,473.[1] Itscounty seat isRed Lodge.[2]
Carbon County is part of theBillings, MTMetropolitan Statistical Area.
Carbon County was named for the rich coal deposits found in the area. It was organized on March 4, 1895, from portions ofPark andYellowstone counties.
Land fromPark andYellowstone counties was used to form Carbon County on March 4, 1895.[3] More than sixtyfederally designated historic sites are located in the county, includingPetroglyph Canyon,[4] one of the state's most importantrock art sites.[5]
The first commercialoil well in the state was established in Elk Basin fields in 1915.[6]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,062 square miles (5,340 km2), of which 2,049 square miles (5,310 km2) is land and 13 square miles (34 km2) (0.6%) is water.[7]
Granite Peak, the state's highest mountain, is found in Carbon County'sBeartooth Mountains. TheBeartooth Highway, one of the "most spectacular alpine highways",[8] linksRed Lodge toCooke City. ThePryor Mountains are in the east of the county, along with theBig Horn River.
Carbon County has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1968.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1904 | 1,130 | 59.07% | 464 | 24.26% | 319 | 16.68% |
| 1908 | 1,205 | 52.01% | 844 | 36.43% | 268 | 11.57% |
| 1912 | 646 | 24.88% | 796 | 30.66% | 1,154 | 44.45% |
| 1916 | 1,708 | 42.56% | 1,926 | 47.99% | 379 | 9.44% |
| 1920 | 2,700 | 64.07% | 1,107 | 26.27% | 407 | 9.66% |
| 1924 | 1,891 | 44.33% | 698 | 16.36% | 1,677 | 39.31% |
| 1928 | 2,514 | 58.10% | 1,674 | 38.69% | 139 | 3.21% |
| 1932 | 1,942 | 38.26% | 2,872 | 56.58% | 262 | 5.16% |
| 1936 | 1,617 | 33.16% | 3,116 | 63.90% | 143 | 2.93% |
| 1940 | 2,421 | 46.91% | 2,678 | 51.89% | 62 | 1.20% |
| 1944 | 2,126 | 50.26% | 2,073 | 49.01% | 31 | 0.73% |
| 1948 | 1,901 | 45.60% | 1,997 | 47.90% | 271 | 6.50% |
| 1952 | 2,734 | 61.16% | 1,713 | 38.32% | 23 | 0.51% |
| 1956 | 2,345 | 56.30% | 1,820 | 43.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,050 | 51.75% | 1,903 | 48.04% | 8 | 0.20% |
| 1964 | 1,535 | 42.25% | 2,098 | 57.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,972 | 54.98% | 1,353 | 37.72% | 262 | 7.30% |
| 1972 | 2,378 | 61.91% | 1,292 | 33.64% | 171 | 4.45% |
| 1976 | 2,121 | 52.44% | 1,853 | 45.81% | 71 | 1.76% |
| 1980 | 2,471 | 56.64% | 1,468 | 33.65% | 424 | 9.72% |
| 1984 | 2,877 | 62.72% | 1,657 | 36.12% | 53 | 1.16% |
| 1988 | 2,360 | 52.80% | 2,039 | 45.62% | 71 | 1.59% |
| 1992 | 1,562 | 33.81% | 1,549 | 33.53% | 1,509 | 32.66% |
| 1996 | 2,147 | 45.09% | 1,854 | 38.93% | 761 | 15.98% |
| 2000 | 3,008 | 62.81% | 1,434 | 29.94% | 347 | 7.25% |
| 2004 | 3,342 | 62.81% | 1,847 | 34.71% | 132 | 2.48% |
| 2008 | 3,108 | 54.05% | 2,443 | 42.49% | 199 | 3.46% |
| 2012 | 3,533 | 60.42% | 2,146 | 36.70% | 168 | 2.87% |
| 2016 | 3,748 | 62.56% | 1,828 | 30.51% | 415 | 6.93% |
| 2020 | 4,468 | 63.35% | 2,421 | 34.33% | 164 | 2.33% |
| 2024 | 4,719 | 64.67% | 2,353 | 32.25% | 225 | 3.08% |
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 7,533 | — | |
| 1910 | 13,962 | 85.3% | |
| 1920 | 15,279 | 9.4% | |
| 1930 | 12,571 | −17.7% | |
| 1940 | 11,865 | −5.6% | |
| 1950 | 10,241 | −13.7% | |
| 1960 | 8,317 | −18.8% | |
| 1970 | 7,080 | −14.9% | |
| 1980 | 8,099 | 14.4% | |
| 1990 | 8,080 | −0.2% | |
| 2000 | 9,552 | 18.2% | |
| 2010 | 10,078 | 5.5% | |
| 2020 | 10,473 | 3.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 11,498 | [11] | 9.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960,[13] 1900–1990,[14] 1990–2000,[15] 2010–2020, 2023[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 10,473, with 18.8% of residents under the age of 18 and 25.6% aged 65 or older; the median age was 50.0 years. For every 100 females there were 102.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 103.0 males. None of the residents lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.[16][17]
The racial makeup of the county was 92.8% White, 0.2%Black or African American, 1.1%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Asian, 0.7% from some other race, and 5.0% fromtwo or more races;Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.5% of the population.[18]
There were 4,694 households, of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 20.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[17]
There were 6,359 housing units, of which 26.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.1% were owner-occupied and 22.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.7%.[17]
As of the2010 census, there were 10,078 people, 4,571 households, and 2,884 families living in the county. The population density was 4.9 inhabitants per square mile (1.9/km2). There were 6,441 housing units at an average density of 3.1 units per square mile (1.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.2% white, 0.8% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 32.3% wereGerman, 16.2% wereIrish, 14.5% wereEnglish, 12.6% wereAmerican, and 6.6% wereNorwegian.
Of the 4,571 households, 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.9% were non-families, and 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.74. The median age was 48.1 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $49,010 and the median income for a family was $59,823. Males had a median income of $41,241 versus $26,150 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,983. About 8.1% of families and 12.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
During the early history of Carbon County,coal mining was the predominant industry. The current economy relies on agriculture, recreation, and tourism.[19]
In 2009 the top employers were Beartooth Hospital & Health Center,Red Lodge Mountain, and the Red Lodge Pizza Company.[19]
In December 2014, construction began on a largewindfarm, Mud Springs Wind Ranch, with 120wind turbines, 12 miles (19 km) southeast ofBridger.[20]
Places adjacent to Carbon County, Montana | |
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Municipalities and communities ofCarbon County, Montana,United States | ||
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