Prairie County, Montana

Prairie County, Montana
Location in the U.S. state of Montana
Montana's location in the U.S.
Founded	2/5/1915
Named for	Prairie landscape
Seat	Terry
Largest town	Terry
Area
• Total	1,743 sq mi (4,514 km2)
• Land	1,737 sq mi (4,499 km2)
• Water	5.8 sq mi (15 km2), 0.3%
Population
• (2010)	1,179
• Density	0.7/sq mi (0/km²)
Congressional district	At-large
Time zone	Mountain: UTC-7/-6
Website	www.prairie.mt.gov

Prairie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,179. Its county seat is Terry. Prairie County was created by the Montana Legislature in 1915 out of parts of Custer, Dawson, and Fallon Counties. The name was selected in a contest and reflects the predominant landscape of the region.

The county was the site of the Custer Creek train wreck in 1938 that killed 47 people and injured an additional 75.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,743 square miles (4,510 km²), of which 1,737 square miles (4,500 km²) is land and 5.8 square miles (15 km²) (0.3%) is water.

Major highways

• Interstate 94
• Montana Highway 253

Adjacent counties

• McCone County, Montana - north
• Dawson County, Montana - north
• Wibaux County, Montana - east
• Fallon County, Montana - southeast
• Custer County, Montana - south
• Garfield County, Montana - west

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1920	3,684		—
1930	3,941		7.0%
1940	2,410		−38.8%
1950	2,377		−1.4%
1960	2,318		−2.5%
1970	1,752		−24.4%
1980	1,836		4.8%
1990	1,383		−24.7%
2000	1,199		−13.3%
2010	1,179		−1.7%
Est. 2014	1,148		−2.6%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,199 people, 537 households, and 354 families residing in the county. The population density was <1/km² (<1/sq mi). There were 718 housing units at an average density of <1/km² (<1/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 98.00% White, 0.50% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. 0.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 43.8% were of German, 12.4% Irish, 11.9% Norwegian and 7.0% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.8% spoke English and 2.2% German as their first language.

There were 537 households out of which 22.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.10% were married couples living together, 2.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.90% were non-families. 31.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.74.

In the county the population was spread out with 18.70% under the age of 18, 4.30% from 18 to 24, 20.00% from 25 to 44, 32.90% from 45 to 64, and 24.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 106.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,451, and the median income for a family was $32,292. Males had a median income of $22,424 versus $18,833 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,422. About 13.30% of families and 17.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.60% of those under age 18 and 15.50% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 1,179 people, 551 households, and 342 families residing in the county. The population density was 0.7 inhabitants per square mile (0.27/km²). There were 673 housing units at an average density of 0.4 per square mile (0.15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.4% white, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 44.7% were German, 18.6% were Norwegian, 14.1% were American, 11.8% were Irish, and 9.5% were English.

Of the 551 households, 18.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.9% were non-families, and 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.67. The median age was 53.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,896 and the median income for a family was $43,500. Males had a median income of $28,438 versus $21,964 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,296. About 12.4% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.6% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Town

• Terry (county seat)

Census-designated place

• Fallon

Other communities

• Mildred
• Saugus
• Shirley
• Zero

See also

• List of cemeteries in Prairie County, Montana
• List of lakes in Prairie County, Montana
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Prairie County, Montana

External links

• Montana Association of Counties - Prairie County website