City · Siskiyou County, California

Montague, California

Montague is a city in Siskiyou County, California. It has 1,479 residents. Montague, California has a quality-of-life score of 13 out of 100 (very low), ranking #13,584 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within California it ranks #823 of 1,062 cities and towns. It ranks best on public EV charging ports (high), grocery stores (high) and preventable hospital stays (low). It ranks worst on natural hazard risk (high), flu vaccinations (low) and math scores (low).

13Very low

Quality-of-life score: #13,584 of 15,651 cities and towns
California: #823 of 1,062 in CA
Population: 1,479 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 831.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 0648690

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety12#13,743/15,637
Economy11#13,965/15,631
Housing18#12,216/14,977
Health13#13,543/15,609
Healthcare52#7,502/15,650
Environment53#7,194/15,453
Education1#15,432/15,649
Infrastructure30#10,991/15,650
Community24#11,894/15,651
Leisure & amenities66#5,270/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Montague, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Siskiyou County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Public EV charging ports · high28.3 /10k
99/100California 17.4 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergySiskiyou County value
Grocery stores · high3.8 /10k
98/100California 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSiskiyou County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,536 /100k
96/100California 2,428 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSiskiyou County value
Mental health providers · high577 /100k
92/100California 487 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSiskiyou County value
Public libraries · high2.1 /10k
92/100California 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesSiskiyou County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low134 min
79/100California 179 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesSiskiyou County value

Weaknesses

Natural hazard risk · high98.3
2/100California 87.32025Federal Emergency Management AgencySiskiyou County value
Flu vaccinations · low23.0%
2/100California 41.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSiskiyou County value
Math scores · low2.44
2/100California 2.79United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSiskiyou County value
Reading scores · low2.59
4/100California 2.91United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSiskiyou County value
Injury deaths · high142 /100k
5/100California 67 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSiskiyou County value
Traffic deaths · high33.6 /100k
5/100California 10.7 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataSiskiyou County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
39.3% (2015-2019) → 56.0% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Poverty rateWorsening
13.9% (2015-2019) → 26.5% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Child poverty rateWorsening
14.3% (2015-2019) → 25.8% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
83.3% (2015-2019) → 91.4% (2020-2024)
+8.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
27.8% (2015-2019) → 35.0% (2020-2024)
+7.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Median household incomeImproving
$46,927 (2015-2019) → $59,750 (2020-2024)
+27%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Montague, California improved on 0 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined1

Poverty+13 points13.9% → 26.5%

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Montague, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	19.9 min2015-2019	24.8 min2020-2024	+4.9 min	Within the margin of error	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	10.2%2015-2019	12.8%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Broadband subscriptions	83.3%2015-2019	91.4%2020-2024	+8.1 points	Within the margin of error	50%
Effective property tax rate	0.80%2015-2019	0.68%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	39%
High school diploma or higher	90.4%2015-2019	89.9%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	3.1×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	66%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3912015-2019	0.4562020-2024	+0.066	Within the margin of error	11%
Median household income	$46,9272015-2019	$59,7502020-2024	+27%	Within the margin of error	49%
Poverty rate	13.9%2015-2019	26.5%2020-2024	+13 points	Declined	2%
Rent as share of income	27.8%2015-2019	35.0%2020-2024	+7.2 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Rent-burdened households	39.3%2015-2019	56.0%2020-2024	+17 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.2%2015-2019	9.9%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	29%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Montague, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Montague, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Montague, California itself moved −16 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,479 residents (±290)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 men (+7.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,479 residents (±290)

Montague, California
California share

White65%967
Black3.4%†51
Hispanic or Latino16%†235

Education

905 residents (±170)

Montague, California
California share

No high school diploma10%†91
High school or GED34%†307
Some college35%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

558 households (±111)

Montague, California
California share

Under $25k30%†166
$25k–50k16%†92
$50k–75k23%†126
$75k–100k15%†82
$100k–150k7.7%†43
$150k–200k5.0%†28
$200k or more3.8%†21

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−17.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

558 households (±111)

Montague, California
California share

Own72%401
Rent28%†157

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

155 households (±64)

Montague, California
California share

Under $75046%†71
$750–1,00013%†20
$1,000–1,50041%†64

Home values

401 homes (±99)

Montague, California
California share

Under $150k31%†126
$150k–250k47%†187
$250k–400k20%†82

Age of homes

641 homes (±109)

Montague, California
California share

2010 or later1.2%†8
2000–20093.0%†19
1980–199929%†184

Size of homes

641 homes (±109)

Montague, California
California share

Studio0.3%†2
1 bedroom7.2%†46
2 bedrooms35%†222

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

571 workers (±162)

Montague, California
California share

Drive alone74%†425
Carpool21%†120
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home4.6%†26
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

545 workers (±156)

Montague, California
California share

Under 15 min45%†244
15–29 min38%†208
30–44 min5.7%†31

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Siskiyou County, the county holding most of Montague's residents.

Siskiyou County has 1,070 employer establishments, 250 for every 10,000 residents (1.01× the US rate of 248; 0.95× California's), with 8,455 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,607. The Census Bureau also counts 3,233 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,070; 3,233 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 250; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 8,455
Average annual pay: $47,607; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Siskiyou County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	85	19.8	1.08×About typical	974	$24,132	20
Ambulatory health care services	80	18.7	0.90×About typical	475	$67,509	178
Specialty trade contractors	59	13.8	0.89×About typical	249	$72,104	229
Construction of buildings	53	12.4	1.64×More than typical	181	$58,188	157
Lessors of real estate	50	11.7	0.95×About typical	90	$39,856	270
Full-service restaurants	39	9.1	1.18×About typical	428	$24,568	12
Traveler accommodation	37	8.6	4.78×More than typical	459	$36,100	26
Gasoline stations	34	7.9	2.45×More than typical	314	$30,949	—
Limited-service restaurants	30	7	0.87×About typical	446	$22,883	6
Religious organizations	28	6.5	1.18×About typical	121	$17,091	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	28	6.5	0.97×About typical	59	$45,153	220
Automotive repair and maintenance	26	6.1	1.20×About typical	91	$38,538	45

Rank places for an industry Open Siskiyou County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 42,856 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Montague is mostly in Siskiyou County.

See federal money in Siskiyou County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Montague, California is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

James GallagherR-CA-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 93%Missed 6.1%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Siskiyou County35100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Siskiyou County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0648690