Montana

Montana covers 145,552 square miles, with a 2017 estimated population of 1,050,493 people – 680,900 living in rural Montana (USDA-ERS). Helena, the capital, is located in the western region of the state. The state’s largest cities are Billings, Missoula, and Great Falls. According to 2017 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 89.1% of the state’s population is white, 0.6% is African-American, 0.8% is Asian, 6.7% is American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.1% is Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 3.8% is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Montana Rural Healthcare Facilities

According to data.HRSA.gov, as of July 2018 Montana had:

• 48 Critical Access Hospitals
• 56 Rural Health Clinics
• 49 Federally Qualified Health Centers located outside of Urbanized Areas
• 9 short term hospitals located outside of Urbanized Areas

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Montana

9% of Montana residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2017). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Montanans in 2016 was $42,947, although rural per capita income lagged at $41,634. The ERS reports, based on 2017 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Montana is 12.9%, compared with 11.6% in urban areas. 7.4% of the rural population has not completed high school, and 6.6% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2012-2016 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Montana is 4.3%, while in urban Montana it is 3.6% (USDA-ERS, 2017).

Data Sources
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets

Contacts

There are more organizations related to Montana in the organizations section.