Scores by category

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

Safety28#11,224/15,637
Economy28#11,225/15,631
Housing71#4,392/14,977
Health25#11,781/15,609
Healthcare64#5,563/15,650
Environment98#357/15,453
Education77#3,544/15,649
Infrastructure38#9,710/15,650
Community76#3,688/15,651
Leisure & amenities97#542/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Butte-Silver Bow, Montana ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Silver Bow 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

Hot days · low0 days
99/100Montana 15 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationSilver Bow County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high17.2 /10k
98/100Montana 13.7 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSilver Bow County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,321 /100k
98/100Montana 1,824 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSilver Bow County value
High school diploma or higher · high94.0%
98/100Montana 94.6%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Restaurants and bars · high16.6 /10k
96/100Montana 13.1 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSilver Bow County value
Average commute time · low16.9 min
96/100Montana 19.1 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013

Weaknesses

Primary care shortage · high19.0
3/100Montana 12.5United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationSilver Bow County value
Mental health care shortage · high19.0
4/100Montana 15.3United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationSilver Bow County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high166 mi
4/100Montana 117 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauSilver Bow County value
Suicide rate · high27.5 /100k
6/100Montana 30.3 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataSilver Bow County value
Child care cost burden · high40.8%
7/100Montana 40.6%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSilver Bow County value
Drought exposure · high88%
7/100Montana 52%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAASilver Bow County value

Trends

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

New homes permittedImproving
2.1 /1k (2021) → 3.8 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+80%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.4% (2015-2019) → 86.6% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$45,797 (2015-2019) → $61,857 (2020-2024)
+35%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.3× (2015-2019) → 4.2× (2020-2024)
+27%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Child poverty rateImproving
19.3% (2015-2019) → 15.2% (2020-2024)
−4.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
49.6% (2015-2019) → 46.7% (2020-2024)
−2.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

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, Butte-Silver Bow, Montana improved on 2 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 10 moved within the margin of error and 1 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.

Improved2

Household income+35%$45,797 → $61,857
Broadband+10 points76.4% → 86.6%

Declined1

Price / income+0.9×3.3× → 4.2×

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Butte-Silver Bow, Montana between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	15.3 min2015-2019	16.9 min2020-2024	+1.6 min	Within the margin of error	31%
Bachelor's degree or higher	27.4%2015-2019	28.1%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Broadband subscriptions	76.4%2015-2019	86.6%2020-2024	+10 points	Improved	60%
Child poverty rate	19.3%2015-2019	15.2%2020-2024	−4.1 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Effective property tax rate	1.05%2015-2019	0.84%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	60%
High school diploma or higher	92.5%2015-2019	94.0%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Home price to income ratio	3.3×2015-2019	4.2×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	27%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4712015-2019	0.4712020-2024	0.000	Within the margin of error	51%
Median household income	$45,7972015-2019	$61,8572020-2024	+35%	Improved	65%
Poverty rate	17.3%2015-2019	14.8%2020-2024	−2.6 points	Within the margin of error	66%
Rent as share of income	29.8%2015-2019	29.0%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Rent-burdened households	49.6%2015-2019	46.7%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Within the margin of error	66%
Unemployment rate	4.6%2015-2019	4.0%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.4%2015-2019	7.3%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	35%

“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 Butte-Silver Bow, Montana five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Butte-Silver Bow, Montana 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, Butte-Silver Bow, Montana itself moved +1.5 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

35,052 residents (±191)

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: 50–59 men (−1.2 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 B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

35,052 residents (±191)

Butte-Silver Bow, Montana
Montana share

White89%31,213
Black0.1%†19
Hispanic or Latino4.7%1,646

Education

24,178 residents (±164)

Butte-Silver Bow, Montana
Montana share

No high school diploma6.0%1,459
High school or GED32%7,781
Some college25%5,935

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

15,127 households (±305)

Butte-Silver Bow, Montana
Montana share

Under $25k20%3,089
$25k–50k21%3,131
$50k–75k21%3,117
$75k–100k13%1,984
$100k–150k15%2,281
$150k–200k5.5%826
$200k or more4.6%699

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−7.4 points).

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

15,127 households (±305)

Butte-Silver Bow, Montana
Montana share

Own71%10,690
Rent29%4,437

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

4,089 households (±446)

Butte-Silver Bow, Montana
Montana share

Under $75042%1,735
$750–1,00017%715
$1,000–1,50024%973

Home values

10,690 homes (±427)

Butte-Silver Bow, Montana
Montana share

Under $150k21%2,234
$150k–250k27%2,922
$250k–400k30%3,168

Age of homes

17,158 homes (±102)

Butte-Silver Bow, Montana
Montana share

2010 or later6.9%1,188
2000–20096.1%1,051
1980–199913%2,233

Size of homes

17,158 homes (±102)

Butte-Silver Bow, Montana
Montana share

Studio4.4%763
1 bedroom14%2,462
2 bedrooms29%4,896

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

16,414 workers (±600)

Butte-Silver Bow, Montana
Montana share

Drive alone77%12,566
Carpool11%1,765
Public transit0.7%†123
Walk2.6%†419
Bike0.0%†2
Work from home7.6%1,251
Other1.8%†288

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+5.3 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

15,163 workers (±616)

Butte-Silver Bow, Montana
Montana share

Under 15 min58%8,748
15–29 min31%4,651
30–44 min4.6%702

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

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Butte-Silver Bow, MT

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 Silver Bow County, the county holding most of Butte-Silver Bow's residents.

Silver Bow County has 1,208 employer establishments, 334 for every 10,000 residents (1.35× the US rate of 248; 0.89× Montana's), with 13,583 paid employees at an average annual pay of $49,923. The Census Bureau also counts 2,701 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,208; 2,701 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 334; US 248 · Montana 376
Paid employees: 13,583
Average annual pay: $49,923; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	131	36.3	1.74×More than typical	1,060	$73,928	144
Restaurants and other eating places	74	20.5	1.12×About typical	1,510	$20,421	16
Specialty trade contractors	72	19.9	1.29×More than typical	396	$68,008	190
Lessors of real estate	51	14.1	1.15×About typical	104	$38,462	443
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	44	12.2	4.58×More than typical	342	$19,211	27
Offices of other health practitioners	43	11.9	1.96×More than typical	143	$33,350	94
Construction of buildings	38	10.5	1.39×More than typical	208	$67,933	97
Services to buildings and dwellings	37	10.2	1.52×More than typical	129	$30,202	98
Limited-service restaurants	35	9.7	1.21×About typical	630	$20,984	4
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	32	8.9	7.31×More than typical	193	$13,601	6
Offices of physicians	30	8.3	1.28×More than typical	322	$129,037	25
Full-service restaurants	29	8	1.05×About typical	782	$20,032	5

Rank places for an industry Open Silver Bow County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 36,122 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

In FY2026, an estimated $1.4M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Butte-Silver Bow, Montana: $38.78 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $1.4M; −97% vs FY2025
Per resident: $38.78; US $1,995
Sole-source: 100%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Indian Health Service$1.6M100%
Forest Service$520.5K38%
Bureau of Land Management$500.7K37%
Department of the Navy$175.4K13%
National Institute of Standards and Technology$58.7K4.3%
Social Security Administration$28.5K2.1%
Department of the Army$10K0.7%

Top recipients

BUTTE NATIVE WELLNESS CENTER, INC.$1.6M100%
TETRA TECH, INC.$463.6K34%
REHBEIN ENTERPRISES INC$249.8K18%
RESODYN ACOUSTIC MIXERS, INCORPORATED$175.4K13%
RAMTOM ACQUISITION LLC$58.7K4.3%

Spending by fiscal year

4.9MFY2017
12.8MFY2018
5.1MFY2019
8.3MFY2020
5.8MFY2021
9.8MFY2022
7.7MFY2023
8.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Outpatient care centers · 6214$1.6M100%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$463.6K34%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$272K20%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$206.5K15%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$151.5K11%
Support activities for crop production · 1151

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Butte-Silver Bow, Montana

DESIGN-BUILD CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR MIKE MANSFIELD FEDERAL BUILDING & US COURTHOUSE SEISMIC RETROFIT & LTD MODERNIZATION IN BUTTE, MT$42.9M
SWANK ENTERPRISES, INC.· Silver Bow County, MT· Construction & real property· May 7, 2025 – Jul 7, 2026· 47PJ0025C0017
COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE ELIGIBLE AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVES, MISSOULA, MONTANA.$2.7M
BUTTE NATIVE WELLNESS CENTER, INC.· Silver Bow County, MT· Health & medical· Jan 30, 2025 – Sep 28, 2026· 75H70925C00003
BIOMINERALIZATION TO STRENGTHEN NATIVE SUBGRADE MATERIALS TO REDUCE COSTS AND TIME TO CONSTRUCT EXPEDITIONARY AIR FORCE RUNWAYS$1.2M
BIOSQUEEZE INC· Silver Bow County, MT· Research & development· Aug 14, 2024 – Mar 5, 2026· FA864924P0988

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Butte-Silver Bow, Montana, so they do not add up across cities.

Butte-Silver Bow, Montana's figures are part of those of Silver Bow County, MT ($1.4M in FY2026), never added to them: 99% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Butte-Silver Bow is mostly in Silver Bow County.

See federal money in Silver Bow 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.

Butte-Silver Bow, Montana is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Ryan K. ZinkeR-MT-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 3.0%

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.

Silver Bow County71100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Butte-Silver Bow, MT72

Other cities and towns in Silver Bow County

Largest first.

Walkerville733

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
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
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/3011397

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends