Scores by category

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

Safety73#4,254/15,637
Economy1#15,536/15,631
Housing—
Health1#15,422/15,609
Healthcare11#13,914/15,650
Environment71#4,484/15,453
Education35#10,191/15,649
Infrastructure8#14,358/15,650
Community18#12,841/15,651
Leisure & amenities72#4,442/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Fort Belknap Agency, Montana ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Blaine 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

Violent crime rate · low18 /100k
100/100Montana 419 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationBlaine County value
Average commute time · low9.0 min
100/100Montana 19.1 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Pharmacies · high4.4 /10k
99/100Montana 1.3 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBlaine County value
Firearm deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Montana 23.6 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataBlaine County value
Grocery stores · high4.4 /10k
99/100Montana 2.1 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBlaine County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.6 µg/m³
98/100Montana 6.6 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyBlaine County value

Weaknesses

Lack of reliable transportation · high29.5%
0/100Montana 8.1%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Adult smoking · high36.3%
0/100Montana 15.1%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Unemployment rate · high38.8%
0/100Montana 3.3%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Frequent mental distress · high26.7%
0/100Montana 19.0%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Mental health care shortage · high21.0
0/100Montana 15.3United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationBlaine County value
Flu vaccinations · low17.0%
0/100Montana 39.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBlaine County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
1,542 (2015-2019) → 1,227 (2020-2024)
−20%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
61.7% (2015-2019) → 32.4% (2020-2024)
−29 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateImproving
50.8% (2015-2019) → 29.4% (2020-2024)
−21 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
58.1% (2015-2019) → 73.6% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
30.7% (2015-2019) → 45.2% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
15.4% (2015-2019) → 27.2% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

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, Fort Belknap Agency, Montana improved on 2 of 10 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 6 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−21 points50.8% → 29.4%
Child poverty−29 points61.7% → 32.4%

Declined2

Inequality+0.1970.481 → 0.678
Uninsured+12 points15.4% → 27.2%

All 10 measures

Change of every measure of Fort Belknap Agency, Montana between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	8.4 min2015-2019	9.0 min2020-2024	+0.5 min	Within the margin of error	41%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.3%2015-2019	8.9%2020-2024	−6.3 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Broadband subscriptions	58.1%2015-2019	73.6%2020-2024	+15 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Child poverty rate	61.7%2015-2019	32.4%2020-2024	−29 points	Improved	98%
High school diploma or higher	86.8%2015-2019	87.4%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4812015-2019	0.6782020-2024	+0.197	Declined	1%
Poverty rate	50.8%2015-2019	29.4%2020-2024	−21 points	Improved	99%
Rent-burdened households	30.7%2015-2019	45.2%2020-2024	+15 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Unemployment rate	33.7%2015-2019	38.8%2020-2024	+5.1 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	15.4%2015-2019	27.2%2020-2024	+12 points	Declined	2%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 5712 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 Fort Belknap Agency, Montana five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Fort Belknap Agency, 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, Fort Belknap Agency, Montana itself moved −12.1 points in standing on average over the same 6 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

1,227 residents (±179)

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

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 B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,227 residents (±179)

Fort Belknap Agency, Montana
Montana share

White1.8%†22
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino1.4%†17

Education

649 residents (±108)

Fort Belknap Agency, Montana
Montana share

No high school diploma13%†82
High school or GED27%†178
Some college31%

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

356 households (±61)

Fort Belknap Agency, Montana
Montana share

Under $25k37%†131
$25k–50k19%†67
$50k–75k17%†62
$75k–100k5.6%†20
$100k–150k12%†41
$150k–200k6.2%†22
$200k or more3.7%†13

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 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

356 households (±61)

Fort Belknap Agency, Montana
Montana share

Own53%189
Rent47%†167

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+18.0 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 B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

157 households (±53)

Fort Belknap Agency, Montana
Montana share

Under $75087%†136
$750–1,0001.3%†2
$1,000–1,50012%†

Home values

189 homes (±49)

Fort Belknap Agency, Montana
Montana share

Under $150k88%†166
$150k–250k5.3%†10
$250k–400k6.9%†13

Age of homes

414 homes (±60)

Fort Belknap Agency, Montana
Montana share

2010 or later5.1%†21
2000–200912%†51
1980–199923%†94

Size of homes

414 homes (±60)

Fort Belknap Agency, Montana
Montana share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom7.7%†32
2 bedrooms24%†100

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

236 workers (±68)

Fort Belknap Agency, Montana
Montana share

Drive alone71%†167
Carpool20%†47
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.8%†2
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.8%†9
Other4.7%†11

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (+17.1 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

227 workers (±68)

Fort Belknap Agency, Montana
Montana share

Under 15 min81%†185
15–29 min11%†24
30–44 min7.9%†

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 Blaine County, the county holding most of Fort Belknap Agency's residents.

Blaine County has 135 employer establishments, 196 for every 10,000 residents (0.79× the US rate of 248; 0.52× Montana's), with 1,036 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,605. The Census Bureau also counts 318 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 135; 318 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 196; US 248 · Montana 376
Paid employees: 1,036
Average annual pay: $57,605; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	12	17.5	1.13×About typical	26	$43,538	34
Ambulatory health care services	7	10.2	0.49×Too few to compare	53	$53,057	7
Automotive repair and maintenance	7	10.2	2.02×Too few to compare	33	$33,455	4
Other specialty trade contractors	7	10.2	4.06×Too few to compare	20	$39,400	18
Grocery and convenience stores	5	7.3	2.45×Too few to compare	65	$24,723	—
Religious organizations	5	7.3	1.31×Too few to compare	6	$18,667	—
Restaurants and other eating places	5	7.3	0.40×Too few to compare	11	$14,364	4
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	4	5.8	2.19×Too few to compare	36	$27,972	—
Child day care services	4	5.8	2.39×Too few to compare	9	$17,778	15
Construction of buildings	4	5.8	0.77×Too few to compare	5	$39,600	10
Auto parts, accessories and tire stores	3	4.4	2.50×Too few to compare	8	$37,750	—
Banks and credit unions	3	4.4	1.35×Too few to compare	23	$47,522	—

Rank places for an industry Open Blaine County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 6,874 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 $422.9K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Fort Belknap Agency, Montana: $345 per resident (US $2,008).

Obligations: $422.9K; +52% vs FY2025
Per resident: $345; US $2,008
Sole-source: 39%; US 30%
Single offer: 21%; US 8.7%

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$405.3K96%
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources$14.3K3.4%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$3,3460.8%

Top recipients

VISTA STAFFING SOLUTIONS, INC.$145.4K34%
CHENEGA GOVERNMENT MISSION SOLUTIONS, LLC$106.7K25%
DT-TRAK CONSULTING, INC.$67.7K16%
WESLEY MEDICAL STAFFING, INC.$46.5K11%
DREAMCATCHERS CONSULTING LLC$35.2K8.3%

Spending by fiscal year

165.6KFY2017
215.2KFY2018
349.1KFY2019
314.4KFY2020
361.4KFY2021
266.8KFY2022
451.1KFY2023
217.9K

Top industries (NAICS)

Employment services · 5613$272.1K64%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$109.5K26%
Natural gas distribution · 2212$11.6K2.7%
Medical and diagnostic laboratories · 6215$10.4K2.5%
Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance · 8112$9,6912.3%
Wired telecommunications carriers · 5171

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 10, 2026, loaded Oct 10, 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 Fort Belknap Agency, Montana, so they do not add up across cities.

Fort Belknap Agency, Montana's figures are part of those of Blaine County, MT ($7M in FY2026), never added to them: 6.1% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Fort Belknap Agency is mostly in Blaine County.

See federal money in Blaine 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.

Fort Belknap Agency, Montana is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Troy DowningR-MT-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 0.6%

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.

Blaine County43100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Blaine 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/3027850

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends