Sanders County Demographics

A map of Sanders County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	11,730	10,732	88.3%	86.5%
Multiracial	641	723	4.8%	5.8%
Hispanic	466	346	3.5%	2.8%
Native American/Other	355	520	2.7%	4.2%
Asian	60	56	0.5%	0.5%
Black	33	23	0.2%	0.2%

Sanders County, Montana has an estimated population of 13,285, an increase from the 12,400 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 88.3% White, 4.8% Multiracial, 3.5% Hispanic, 2.7% Native American/Other, 0.5% Asian, and 0.2% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Sanders County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Sanders has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less 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 Sanders County, that probability was 24.5% in 2020 and 21.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Sanders County is ranked the 14th most populous county in Montana, out of 56 counties. Sanders County was ranked the 15th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Sanders County's White Population

11,730 residents of Sanders County, or 88.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Sanders County is slightly higher than in Montana overall, where 83.6% of the population is White. Sanders County ranks 40th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Sanders County's White population has grown by an estimated 9.3%. White residents' share of Sanders County's population has increased from 86.5% to 88.3%.

Sanders County is more White than neighboring Lake County (64.6% White), and Clearwater County (87.6% White). Sanders County is less White than neighboring Mineral County (88.9% White), Shoshone County (88.7% White), and Lincoln County (90% White).

Sanders County's Black Population

33 residents of Sanders County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Sanders County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 0.4% of the population is Black. Sanders County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Sanders County's Black population has grown by an estimated 43.5%. Black residents' share of Sanders County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Sanders County is more Black than neighboring Lincoln County (0.1% Black). Sanders County is less Black than neighboring Shoshone County (1% Black).

Sanders County's Asian Population

60 residents of Sanders County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Sanders County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 0.8% of the population is Asian. Sanders County ranks 19th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Sanders County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 7.1%. Asian residents' share of Sanders County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Sanders County is more Asian than neighboring Mineral County (0.3% Asian), Shoshone County (0.3% Asian), and Lincoln County (0.2% Asian). Sanders County is less Asian than neighboring Lake County (0.7% Asian), and Clearwater County (1% Asian).

Sanders County's Hispanic Population

466 residents of Sanders County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Sanders County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 4.6% of the population is Hispanic. Sanders County ranks 31st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Sanders County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 34.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Sanders County's population has increased from 2.8% to 3.5%.

Sanders County is more Hispanic than neighboring Lincoln County (3.1% Hispanic). Sanders County is less Hispanic than neighboring Mineral County (3.7% Hispanic), Shoshone County (4.1% Hispanic), Lake County (4.3% Hispanic), and Clearwater County (4.6% Hispanic).

Sanders County's Native American/Other Population

355 residents of Sanders County, or 2.7% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Sanders County is slightly lower than in Montana overall, where 5.9% of the population is Native American/Other. Sanders County ranks 16th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Sanders County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 31.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Sanders County's population has decreased from 4.2% to 2.7%.

Sanders County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Mineral County (1.6% Native American/Other), Shoshone County (1.3% Native American/Other), Lincoln County (1.4% Native American/Other), and Clearwater County (2% Native American/Other). Sanders County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Lake County (20% Native American/Other).

Sanders County's Multiracial Population

641 residents of Sanders County, or 4.8% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Sanders County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Sanders County ranks 8th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Sanders County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 11.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Sanders County's population has decreased from 5.8% to 4.8%.

Sanders County is more Multiracial than neighboring Shoshone County (4.5% Multiracial), and Clearwater County (4.6% Multiracial). Sanders County is less Multiracial than neighboring Mineral County (5.3% Multiracial), Lincoln County (5.3% Multiracial), and Lake County (10.2% 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.