• county
  • FIPS 30009
  • Largest town: Red Lodge

Carbon County, Montana

Carbon County had 11,498 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 2,047.9 square miles of land. It ranks 19th of 56 in Montana by population and 33rd by land area.

Population
11,498
#19 of 56 in Montana · #2,318 in US
Area
2,047.9 sq mi
#33 of 56 in Montana · #277 in US
Density
5.6 / sq mi
#15 of 56 in Montana · #2,742 in US
Median household income
$72,463
#10 of 56 in Montana · #822 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Carbon County within Montana. Pin: Helena.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Carbon County

Carbon County population, land area and income

Carbon County had 11,498 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 2,047.9 square miles of land. It ranks 19th of 56 in Montana by population and 33rd by land area. That works out to 5.6 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and in the bottom quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Montana has 7,814 residents; Carbon County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $72,463 is above the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

11,498

3144th1st

2318th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

2,048 sq mi

3144th1st

277th of 3,144 (US)

Density

5.6 / sq mi

3144th1st

2742nd of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$72,463

3143rd1st

822nd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Montana (56)

Population

11,498

56th1st

19th of 56 (MT)

Land area

2,048 sq mi

56th1st

33rd of 56 (MT)

Density

5.6 / sq mi

56th1st

15th of 56 (MT)

Median household income

$72,463

56th1st

10th of 56 (MT)

How Carbon County's population changed since 2020

Carbon County gained 984 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 9.4%. That ranks 8th of 56 in Montana for growth. The median Montana county changed by +2.8%, and the state as a whole by +4.6%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Carbon County recorded 365 births and 461 deaths, a natural change of -96. Net international migration added +36 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +1,089. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 1,089 people.

10.5k202010.9k202111.2k202211.4k202311.5k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
365
Deaths
461
Net international migration
+36
Net domestic migration
+1,089
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+72

Where Carbon County is

The Census internal point of Carbon County is at 45.224500, -109.028600. It sits in UTM zone 12N. The map shades Montana's 56 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Carbon County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Liberty County: -1.2%Golden Valley County: +5.1%Dawson County: -2.1%Flathead County: +9.2%Beaverhead County: +6.7%Prairie County: +2.0%Garfield County: +0.9%Lewis and Clark County: +5.5%Sweet Grass County: +2.4%Wheatland County: -0.7%Ravalli County: +8.5%Jefferson County: +9.6%Carter County: -0.6%Chouteau County: -0.6%Custer County: +0.9%Teton County: +3.1%Granite County: +9.0%Deer Lodge County: +4.1%Cascade County: +0.1%Powder River County: +2.4%Meagher County: +7.3%Daniels County: -1.7%Glacier County: -1.8%Wibaux County: -2.7%Fallon County: -2.7%McCone County: -0.7%Sheridan County: -2.5%Missoula County: +3.5%Toole County: +3.7%Sanders County: +11.5%Roosevelt County: -5.6%Rosebud County: -1.3%Treasure County: -2.5%Yellowstone County: +3.9%Blaine County: -1.4%Musselshell County: +14.8%Broadwater County: +21.0%Powell County: +2.6%Fergus County: +3.4%Phillips County: +0.1%Gallatin County: +6.2%Silver Bow County: +2.6%Madison County: +12.6%Richland County: -4.4%Lake County: +6.9%Valley County: -1.7%Judith Basin County: +4.3%Hill County: -1.2%Big Horn County: -2.2%Stillwater County: +5.0%Carbon County: +9.4%Mineral County: +13.7%Petroleum County: +4.6%Pondera County: +3.4%Park County: +4.9%Lincoln County: +12.4%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.4%
  2. < +0.9%
  3. < +3.9%
  4. < +7.3%
  5. ≥ +7.3%
no data

Orange pin: Carbon County internal point. Dark pin: Helena.

Internal point

Decimal
45.224500, -109.028600
DMS
45°13'28.20"N 109°01'42.96"W
UTM
12N 654768.3E 5009780.5N
Geohash
c843qbzgc
Plus code
85QG6XFC+RH

Towns in Carbon County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Carbon County, 2,686 people together, or 23% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Carbon County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Red Lodge with 2,686.

  1. 01Red Lodge2,686
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Carbon County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Carbon County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Yellowstone County, MT, with 171,583 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Helena and the nearest big city

Helena is 171.7 miles NW of Carbon County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Billings, MT (population 121,483), 45.3 miles away.

Carbon County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Carbon County is 30009: state code 30 for Montana plus county code 009. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $72,463.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Carbon County, Montana?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 11,498. That is up 984 people (9.4%) from the July 2020 estimate of 10,514.

What is the FIPS code of Carbon County?

30009. The first two digits (30) are Montana; the last three (009) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Carbon County?

Red Lodge, with 2,686 residents inside Carbon County in 2024.

Which counties border Carbon County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Yellowstone County, MT; Park County, WY; Park County, MT; Big Horn County, MT; Big Horn County, WY; Stillwater County, MT.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.