About two in five adults aged 25 to 54 in Big Horn County, Montana, are not working
In Big Horn County, 37.4% of adults aged 25 to 54 were not working (Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024). That is higher than in 97% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 77% of U.S. counties.
What drives Big Horn County's score
In Big Horn County, jobs weigh most: the score for jobs is 95.0. About two in five adults aged 25 to 54 (37.4%, 2020 to 2024) aren't working, a higher share than in 95% of U.S. counties. Income and the safety net comes next, at 74.3.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
Big Horn County does better than most counties on two measures: renters paying half their income or more in rent (2.8%, 2020 to 2024) and bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people (23.5, 2025).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Big Horn County ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 95.0 of 100
Jobs
Biggest factorAdults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working37.4% · 2020 to 202495th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average6.4% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202695th percentile
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- 74.3 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line27.4% · 202487th percentile
- People with a disability13.2% · 2020 to 202423rd percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$59,112 · 202472nd percentile
- People below the poverty line22.2% · 202492nd percentile
- People without health insurance21.7% · 2020 to 202495th percentile
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- 66.8 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind11.9% · August 202595th percentile
- People with a credit card behind3.9% · August 202523rd percentile
- People with a subprime credit score32.8% · Q4 202581st percentile
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- 47.2 of 100
Housing costs
HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income26.5% · fiscal year 202789th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent2.8% · 2020 to 20245th percentile
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- 46.2 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector35.6% · August 202587th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people23.5 · 20255th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Aug 2026.
Where the money in Big Horn County comes from
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adds up all the income that reaches the people of a county and splits it three ways: pay from work, income from investments and rent, and benefit checks.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Big Horn County
Montana
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Big Horn County in 2024, pay from work was 47 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 16 cents. Benefit checks were 37 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks brought in more than pay in one of the years since 1969, but pay is ahead now.
In Big Horn County, benefit checks rose from 9 to 37 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Big Horn County, Montana: 37.1% and 47.1% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 37.1% of all personal income in Big Horn County, Montana (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4).
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In Big Horn County, 14.1% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Big Horn County has changed
The number of people living in Big Horn County grew by about 27% between 1969 and 2024, from 10,052 to 12,796. The number of jobs located there grew by about 20% from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 13.7% in 1990 to 5.8% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 10,052 | 2024 12,796 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 3,127 | 2024 3,743 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 13.7% | 2025 5.8% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 32.6% | 2024 22.2% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $18,866 | 2024 $59,112 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 8.9% | 2024 37.1% |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in Big Horn County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 2020 Census count of 13,124, which is also its most recent census. Census Bureau
1913
Established January 13, 1913. Wikipedia
1999
Lightning: one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
2008
Thunderstorm wind: two deaths. NOAA Storm Events Database
2011
Flash flood: one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
2022
Thunderstorm wind: one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1978
8 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Big Horn County, 2 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Big Horn County beside its neighbors
Big Horn County scores higher than all seven counties that border it, in Montana and Wyoming. Of the group, Big Horn County gets the largest share of its income from benefit checks (37.1%).
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Horn County, MT | 77 | 22.2% | 37.1% |
| Rosebud County, MT | 65 | 16.3% | 26.8% |
| Big Horn County, WY | 34 | 12.6% | 27.0% |
| Yellowstone County, MT | 26 | 8.3% | 16.8% |
| Treasure County, MT | 14 | 12.1% | 24.5% |
| Carbon County, MT | 10 | 9.4% | 19.9% |
| Sheridan County, WY | 9 | 9.0% | 17.0% |
| Powder River County, MT | 7 | 11.1% | 22.2% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Big Horn County the poorest county in Montana?
No, Big Horn County's poverty rate was 22.2% in 2024, 3rd highest of 56 in Montana (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Glacier County, at 25.9%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Big Horn County ranks 2nd of 56 in the state.
Big Horn County in photographs
Places in Big Horn County from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
Hotel Becker, 200 North Center Avenue, Hardin, Montana.
Photo: Leonard J. DeFrancisci via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Jeremy Not Afraid pictured with Producer Bill Klinkosh, talking about Klinkosh's range units.
Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture NRCS via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
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Big Horn County, Montana: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Big Horn County, Montana?
22.2% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in five people. Among children it was 27.4%.
Is Big Horn County the poorest county in Montana?
No, Big Horn County's poverty rate was 22.2% in 2024, 3rd highest of 56 in Montana (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Glacier County, at 25.9%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Big Horn County ranks 2nd of 56 in the state.
What is the population of Big Horn County, Montana?
About 12,796 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 13,124, the most of any census.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Big Horn County
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA)
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,313 approved agencies by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Big Horn County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Big Horn County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.