Key Contact for Montana

Montana Office of Rural Health

Phone: 406.994.6001
Email: natalie.claiborne@montana.edu

Works to improve access to quality healthcare for rural Montana residents by providing leadership and resources to healthcare and community organizations. Focuses on recruitment and retention of health professionals into rural areas, provides technical assistance, and coordinates rural health interests and activities across the state.
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Montana Nonmetro Population

1,061,705

Estimated population

680,426 (64.1%)

People living in nonmetro areas

Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020 estimate

Montana Rural Healthcare Facilities

49

Critical Access Hospitals

61

Rural Health Clinics

58

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

7

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

*Sites located outside of Urbanized Areas according to data.HRSA.gov. July 2022.

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Montana

6.0% of Montana residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2021). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Montanans in 2020 was $53,361, with the rural per capita income at $52,513. The ERS reports, based on 2020 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Montana is 12.7%, compared with 11.6% in urban areas. 6.4% of the rural population has not completed high school, and 5.4% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2016-2020 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Montana is 3.4%, while in urban Montana it is 3.3% (USDA-ERS, 2021).