In Musselshell County, Montana, rent on a two-bedroom takes about one in four dollars of the typical household's income
In Musselshell County, 27.7% of the median household's income would go to rent on a two-bedroom at HUD's fair market rent (HUD and Census Bureau, HUD rent fiscal year 2027; household income 2024). That is higher than in 92% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 71% of U.S. counties.
What drives Musselshell County's score
In Musselshell County, jobs weigh most: the score for jobs is 80.5. Unemployment averaged 5.1%, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, higher than in 81% of U.S. counties. Income and the safety net comes next, at 72.3.
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.
Musselshell County does better than most counties on two measures: renters paying half their income or more in rent (11.2%, 2020 to 2024) and bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people (94.2, 2025).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Musselshell 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.
- 80.5 of 100
Jobs
Biggest factorAdults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working26.4% · 2020 to 202479th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average5.1% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202681st percentile
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- 72.3 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line20.6% · 202466th percentile
- People with a disability23.1% · 2020 to 202492nd percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$58,416 · 202474th percentile
- People below the poverty line14.5% · 202460th percentile
- People without health insurance10.1% · 2020 to 202466th percentile
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- 65.1 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind10.8% · August 202594th percentile
- People with a credit card behind6.3% · August 202562nd percentile
- People with a subprime credit score20.9% · Q4 202538th percentile
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- 54.1 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 income27.7% · fiscal year 202792nd percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent11.2% · 2020 to 202415th percentile
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- 39.4 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector22.0% · August 202545th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people94.2 · 202532nd 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 Musselshell 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
Musselshell County
Montana
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Musselshell County in 2024, pay from work was 46 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 21 cents. Benefit checks were 33 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks have grown from 13 cents of every dollar in 1969, but pay from work still brings in more.
In Musselshell County, benefit checks rose from 13 to 33 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Musselshell County, Montana: 32.9% and 46.2% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 32.9% of all personal income in Musselshell 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 Musselshell County, 29.0% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Musselshell County has changed
The number of people living in Musselshell County grew by about 43% between 1969 and 2024, from 3,817 to 5,452. The number of jobs located there grew by about 54% from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 7.3% in 1990 to 5.0% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 3,817 | 2024 5,452 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 863 | 2024 1,325 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 7.3% | 2025 5.0% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 17.6% | 2024 14.5% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $17,143 | 2024 $58,416 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 12.5% | 2024 32.9% |
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 Musselshell County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 1920 Census count of 12,030. The 2020 Census counted 4,730, 39% of the peak. Census Bureau
2011
Flood: $6 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1977
12 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Musselshell County, 7 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Musselshell County beside its neighbors
Musselshell County scores higher than all five counties that border it. For the share of income from benefit checks, Musselshell County ranks 2nd of the six; Golden Valley County is highest, at 33.0%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Musselshell County, MT | 71 | 14.5% | 32.9% |
| Rosebud County, MT | 65 | 16.3% | 26.8% |
| Golden Valley County, MT | 33 | 20.2% | 33.0% |
| Yellowstone County, MT | 26 | 8.3% | 16.8% |
| Petroleum County, MT | 24 | 14.5% | 27.6% |
| Fergus County, MT | 16 | 12.3% | 23.8% |
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 Musselshell County the poorest county in Montana?
No, Musselshell County's poverty rate was 14.5% in 2024, 18th 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, Musselshell County ranks 4th of 56 in the state.
Musselshell County in photographs
Places in Musselshell County from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
The Musselshell County, Montana Courthouse in Roundup, Montana, United States.
Musselshell County, Montana: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Musselshell County, Montana?
14.5% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in seven people. Among children it was 20.6%.
Is Musselshell County the poorest county in Montana?
No, Musselshell County's poverty rate was 14.5% in 2024, 18th 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, Musselshell County ranks 4th of 56 in the state.
What is the population of Musselshell County, Montana?
About 5,452 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 4,730, 39% of the county's peak of 12,030 in 1920.
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 Musselshell 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 Musselshell 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 Musselshell County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.