City · Powell County, Montana

Deer Lodge, Montana

Deer Lodge is a city in Powell County, Montana. It has 3,021 residents. Deer Lodge, Montana has a quality-of-life score of 72 out of 100 (high), ranking #4,374 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Montana it ranks #43 of 94 cities and towns. It ranks best on restaurants and bars (high), drug overdose deaths (low) and high school diploma or higher (high). It ranks worst on pharmacies (low), traffic deaths (high) and suicide rate (high).

72High

Quality-of-life score: #4,374 of 15,651 cities and towns
Montana: #43 of 94 in MT
Population: 3,021 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 1,938.1 /mi²
FIPS code: 3019825

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 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.

Safety21#12,377/15,637
Economy59#6,462/15,631
Housing96#637/14,977
Health36#10,012/15,609
Healthcare38#9,740/15,650
Environment92#1,192/15,453
Education82#2,872/15,649
Infrastructure41#9,272/15,650
Community75#3,932/15,651
Leisure & amenities97#421/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Deer Lodge, Montana ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Powell 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

Restaurants and bars · high22.4 /10k
99/100Montana 13.1 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPowell County value
Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Montana 14.5 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataPowell County value
High school diploma or higher · high95.7%
99/100Montana 94.6%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Average commute time · low14.3 min
98/100Montana 19.1 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high14.0 /10k
98/100Montana 13.7 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPowell County value
Rent as share of income · low22.9%
97/100Montana 27.8%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071

Weaknesses

Pharmacies · low0.0 /10k
1/100Montana 1.3 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPowell County value
Traffic deaths · high48.2 /100k
2/100Montana 19.4 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataPowell County value
Suicide rate · high30.4 /100k
3/100Montana 30.3 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional dataPowell County value
Injury deaths · high152 /100k
3/100Montana 105 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePowell County value
Firearm deaths · high26.0 /100k
5/100Montana 23.6 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional dataPowell County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high132 mi
6/100Montana 117 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauPowell County value

Trends

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

New homes permittedImproving
0.7 /1k (2021) → 23.8 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+3,401%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child poverty rateImproving
28.5% (2015-2019) → 7.9% (2020-2024)
−21 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.5× (2015-2019) → 4.1× (2020-2024)
+67%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
70.9% (2015-2019) → 82.5% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateImproving
16.2% (2015-2019) → 7.2% (2020-2024)
−9 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$46,799 (2015-2019) → $60,302 (2020-2024)
+29%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, Deer Lodge, Montana improved on 2 of 10 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 7 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.

Improved2

Poverty−9 points16.2% → 7.2%
Broadband+12 points70.9% → 82.5%

Declined1

Price / income+1.7×2.5× → 4.1×

All 10 measures

Change of every measure of Deer Lodge, Montana between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	14.5 min2015-2019	14.3 min2020-2024	−0.2 min	Within the margin of error	49%
Bachelor's degree or higher	24.8%2015-2019	23.8%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Broadband subscriptions	70.9%2015-2019	82.5%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	67%
Effective property tax rate	0.91%2015-2019	0.69%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	62%
High school diploma or higher	93.2%2015-2019	95.7%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	64%
Home price to income ratio	2.5×2015-2019	4.1×2020-2024	+1.7×	Declined	7%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4322015-2019	0.3932020-2024	−0.039	Within the margin of error	79%
Median household income	$46,7992015-2019	$60,3022020-2024	+29%	Within the margin of error	53%
Poverty rate	16.2%2015-2019	7.2%2020-2024	−9 points	Improved	91%
Rent as share of income	24.8%2015-2019	22.9%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Within the margin of error	69%

“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 Deer Lodge, Montana five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Deer Lodge, 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, Deer Lodge, Montana itself moved +0.7 points in standing on average over the same 9 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

3,021 residents (±26)

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 women (−3.4 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

3,021 residents (±26)

Deer Lodge, Montana
Montana share

White90%2,729
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino0.1%†3

Education

2,411 residents (±108)

Deer Lodge, Montana
Montana share

No high school diploma4.3%†103
High school or GED42%1,009
Some college20%†485

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

1,369 households (±137)

Deer Lodge, Montana
Montana share

Under $25k15%†211
$25k–50k29%†401
$50k–75k16%†217
$75k–100k15%†202
$100k–150k18%†243
$150k–200k5.5%†75
$200k or more1.5%†20

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−12.6 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

1,369 households (±137)

Deer Lodge, Montana
Montana share

Own68%932
Rent32%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

427 households (±131)

Deer Lodge, Montana
Montana share

Under $75032%†137
$750–1,00033%†141
$1,000–1,50035%†149

Home values

932 homes (±143)

Deer Lodge, Montana
Montana share

Under $150k19%†173
$150k–250k32%†299
$250k–400k24%†225

Age of homes

1,481 homes (±124)

Deer Lodge, Montana
Montana share

2010 or later2.2%†33
2000–20095.6%†83
1980–19994.8%†71

Size of homes

1,481 homes (±124)

Deer Lodge, Montana
Montana share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom12%†173
2 bedrooms37%550

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

1,187 workers (±169)

Deer Lodge, Montana
Montana share

Drive alone86%1,021
Carpool3.5%†41
Public transit0.7%†8
Walk3.0%†36
Bike0.0%0
Work from home5.2%†62
Other1.6%†19

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (+8.1 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,125 workers (±163)

Deer Lodge, Montana
Montana share

Under 15 min78%876
15–29 min8.6%†97
30–44 min11%†119

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 Powell County, the county holding most of Deer Lodge's residents.

Powell County has 176 employer establishments, 247 for every 10,000 residents (1.00× the US rate of 248; 0.66× Montana's), with 1,451 paid employees at an average annual pay of $62,689. The Census Bureau also counts 580 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 176; 580 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 247; US 248 · Montana 376
Paid employees: 1,451
Average annual pay: $62,689; US $68,342

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

Construction of buildings	17	23.9	3.16×More than typical	44	$44,250	34
Specialty trade contractors	14	19.7	1.27×More than typical	40	$52,150	64
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	12	16.9	6.35×More than typical	110	$55,300	6
Restaurants and other eating places	11	15.5	0.84×About typical	124	$16,218	—
Ambulatory health care services	10	14.1	0.67×Fewer than typical	25	$55,440	15
Full-service restaurants	8	11.2	1.46×Too few to compare	65	$14,585	—
Religious organizations	8	11.2	2.03×Too few to compare	12	$13,417	—
Lessors of real estate	7	9.8	0.80×Too few to compare	8	$16,000	59
Other amusement and recreation industries	7	9.8	4.06×Too few to compare	75	$70,560	6
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	6	8.4	6.96×Too few to compare	30	$9,567	—
Offices of other health practitioners	6	8.4	1.39×Too few to compare	12	$40,583	7
Other specialty trade contractors	5	7	2.80×Too few to compare	10	$79,800	41

Rank places for an industry Open Powell County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 7,112 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: Deer Lodge is mostly in Powell County.

See federal money in Powell 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.

Deer Lodge, 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.

Powell County72100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Powell 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
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

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