The Town Files

Sanders County, Montana

13,285 people. The median home is worth $359,000 (typical Montana town: $249,800) and the median household earns $57,476.

Towns in Sanders County

Towns in Sanders County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Thompson Falls1,336$266,400$46,31348.8
Plains1,106$248,300$25,49143.3
Hot Springs557$150,900$21,30052.0

People and housing

Sanders CountyTypical Montana town
Median home value$359,000$249,800
Median rent$820$893
Median household income$57,476$63,249
Median age54.640.6
Bachelor's degree or higher21.5%25.0%
Below the poverty line15.4%10.9%

Jobs and pay

3,306 jobs in 2024, average pay $45,909 a year.

Largest industries in Sanders CountyRetail475 jobs · $29,725Hotels & restaurants475 jobs · $25,948Manufacturing273 jobs · $54,926Construction203 jobs · $61,313Professional & technical serv…102 jobs · $79,613Other services100 jobs · $32,723
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Sanders County0%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023 4.8%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 1,112 storm events in Sanders County from 1996 to 2026, with 30 deaths.

Storm events in Sanders County by type since 1996Hail21Flood24Blizzard8High Wind95Heavy Snow388Strong Wind47Frost/Freeze25Winter Storm225Winter Weather180Cold/Wind Chill23
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Sanders County has been included in 16 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 7, 2026Straight-Line WindsDR-4902: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds
December 19, 2025FloodEM-3630: Severe Storms And Flooding
August 19, 2023FireFM-5480: River Road East Fire
March 31, 2020BiologicalDR-4508: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3476: Covid-19
September 10, 2017FireFM-5210: Highway 200 Fire Complex
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).