Pondera County Demographics

A map of Pondera County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	4,760	4,644	78.9%	78.7%
Native American/Other	880	912	14.6%	15.5%
Multiracial	180	216	3.0%	3.7%
Hispanic	154	97	2.6%	1.6%
Asian	60	25	1.0%	0.4%
Black	1	4	0.0%	0.1%

Pondera County, Montana has an estimated population of 6,035, a slight increase from the 5,898 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 78.9% White, 14.6% Native American/Other, 3.0% Multiracial, 2.6% Hispanic, 1.0% Asian, and 0.0% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Pondera County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Pondera is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably more diverse than Montana overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Pondera County, that probability was 35.4% in 2020 and 35.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Pondera County is ranked the 33rd most populous county in Montana, out of 56 counties. Pondera County was ranked the 33rd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Pondera County's White Population

4,760 residents of Pondera County, or 78.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Pondera County is slightly lower than in Montana overall, where 83.6% of the population is White. Pondera County ranks 48th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pondera County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.5%. White residents' share of Pondera County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 78.9%.

Pondera County is more White than neighboring Glacier County (29.5% White). Pondera County is less White than neighboring Teton County (91.5% White), Toole County (82.2% White), Lewis and Clark County (88.6% White), and Liberty County (93.4% White).

Pondera County's Black Population

1 residents of Pondera County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Pondera County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 0.4% of the population is Black. Pondera County ranks 50th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pondera County's Black population has declined by an estimated 75.0%. Black residents' share of Pondera County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.0%.

Pondera County is less Black than neighboring Teton County (0.3% Black), Toole County (1.7% Black), Glacier County (0.2% Black), and Lewis and Clark County (0.5% Black).

Pondera County's Asian Population

60 residents of Pondera County, or 1.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Pondera County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 0.8% of the population is Asian. Pondera County ranks 24th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pondera County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 140.0%. Asian residents' share of Pondera County's population has increased from 0.4% to 1.0%.

Pondera County is more Asian than neighboring Teton County (0% Asian), Glacier County (0.6% Asian), Lewis and Clark County (0.5% Asian), and Liberty County (0.7% Asian). Pondera County is less Asian than neighboring Toole County (1.2% Asian).

Pondera County's Hispanic Population

154 residents of Pondera County, or 2.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Pondera County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 4.6% of the population is Hispanic. Pondera County ranks 51st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pondera County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 58.8%. Hispanic residents' share of Pondera County's population has increased from 1.6% to 2.6%.

Pondera County is more Hispanic than neighboring Teton County (2% Hispanic), and Liberty County (0.1% Hispanic). Pondera County is less Hispanic than neighboring Toole County (4.4% Hispanic), Glacier County (2.9% Hispanic), and Lewis and Clark County (4% Hispanic).

Pondera County's Native American/Other Population

880 residents of Pondera County, or 14.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Pondera County is higher than in Montana overall, where 5.9% of the population is Native American/Other. Pondera County ranks 9th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pondera County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 3.5%. Native American/Other residents' share of Pondera County's population has decreased from 15.5% to 14.6%.

Pondera County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Teton County (2.1% Native American/Other), Toole County (5.8% Native American/Other), Lewis and Clark County (1.7% Native American/Other), and Liberty County (2.7% Native American/Other). Pondera County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Glacier County (63.8% Native American/Other).

Pondera County's Multiracial Population

180 residents of Pondera County, or 3.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Pondera County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Pondera County ranks 46th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Pondera County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 16.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Pondera County's population has decreased from 3.7% to 3.0%.

Pondera County is less Multiracial than neighboring Teton County (4.1% Multiracial), Toole County (4.7% Multiracial), Lewis and Clark County (4.7% Multiracial), and Liberty County (3.1% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.