Custer County, Montana Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Custer County
U.S. county
Custer County Courthouse in Miles City
Location within the U.S. state of Montana
Montana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Montana
Founded	June 2, 1865
Named for	George Armstrong Custer
Seat	Miles City
Largest city	Miles City
Area
• Total	3,793 sq mi (9,820 km²)
• Land	3,783 sq mi (9,800 km²)
• Water	9.9 sq mi (26 km²) 0.3%
Population (2020)
• Total	11,867
• Density	3.1287/sq mi (1.20798/km²)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	At-large
Website	http://ccsomt.com/
Montana county number 14

Custer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 11,867. Its county seat is Miles City. The county was established on June 2, 1865 as one of the nine original counties of the Territory of Montana named Big Horn County, and was renamed on February 16, 1877 in honor of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer.

Geography
- Major highways
- Adjacent counties
Demographics
- 2010 census
Communities
Economy
See also

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,793 square miles (9,820 km²), of which 3,783 square miles (9,800 km²) is land and 9.9 square miles (26 km²) (0.3%) is water.

Major highways

Interstate 94
U.S. Highway 12
U.S. Highway 212
Montana Highway 59

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	38	—
1880	2,510	6,505.3%
1890	5,308	111.5%
1900	7,891	48.7%
1910	14,123	79.0%
1920	12,194	−13.7%
1930	11,242	−7.8%
1940	10,422	−7.3%
1950	12,661	21.5%
1960	13,227	4.5%
1970	12,174	−8.0%
1980	13,109	7.7%
1990	11,697	−10.8%
2000	11,696	0.0%
2010	11,699	0.0%
2020	11,867	1.4%
US Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 11,699 people, 5,031 households, and 3,014 families living in the county. The population density was 3.1 inhabitants per square mile (1.2/km²). There were 5,560 housing units at an average density of 1.5 per square mile (0.58/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.5% white, 1.7% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 33.6% were German, 18.3% were Irish, 14.3% were American, 14.1% were Norwegian, and 10.6% were English.

Of the 5,031 households, 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 40.1% were non-families, and 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 42.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,913 and the median income for a family was $49,011. Males had a median income of $37,535 versus $26,576 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,676. About 12.4% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

County Courthouse in Miles City

City

Miles City (county seat)

Town

Ismay

Unincorporated communities

Economy

Agriculture (dryland farming) and cattle raising provide the bulk of Custer County economy. Miles City serves as the center of commerce in an area extending for 100 miles in every direction. As of 2009 the county's largest employers were Holy Rosary Healthcare, Sanjel USA, Stockman Bank, and Walmart.

Custer County, Montana facts for kids

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