The Town FilesHeart Butte, Montana
Community in Pondera County · population 621 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $46,300
- Household income
- $31,389
- Jan low / Jul high
- 13° / 74°
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 25.2
Heart Butte is a community of 621 people in Pondera County, Montana. The median home is worth $46,300, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). It ranks easier by car than 89% of Montana towns, more of a college town than 86% of Montana towns, better for young professionals than 80% of Montana towns.
How Heart Butte ranks
Percentile among Montana towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Montana towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Heart Butte is worth $46,300, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). Homes cost about 1.5 times the median household income of $31,389, which is more affordable than 97% of Montana towns. Median rent is $455 a month. 32.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Heart Butte | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $46,300 | $249,800 |
| Median rent | $455 | $893 |
| Median household income | $31,389 | $63,249 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.5× | 4.2× |
| Homeownership | 32.0% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.7% | — |
Who lives in Heart Butte
| People | Heart Butte | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 25.2 | 40.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 7.5% | 19.6% |
| Under 18 | 40.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.7% | 25.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 47.1% | 10.9% |
| Veterans | 4.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 3.6% | 8.5% |
| Average commute | 17.5 min | 19.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 79.5% | 86.6% |
Weather in Heart Butte
July highs average 73.8°F and January lows 13.1°F. About 30.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 201 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Heart Butte since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 13, 2006.
Severe weather in Pondera County since 1996
Pondera County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2026 | Straight-Line Winds | DR-4902: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds |
| July 18, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4801: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
| March 31, 2020 | Biological | DR-4508: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3476: Covid-19 |
| August 30, 2018 | Flood | DR-4388: Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Pondera County
Pondera County had 1,562 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $45,334 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in Heart Butte itself the ACS puts it at 13.9%.
Public schools in Heart Butte
3 public schools with 197 students, about 9.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heart Butte Elementary | PK-6 | 96 | 9.6 |
| Heart Butte High School | 9-12 | 73 | 12.2 |
| Heart Butte 6-8 | 6-8 | 28 | 7.0 |
Towns near Heart Butte
- South Browning, MT19.5 mi · 1,970 people · home $73,000
- Browning, MT20.2 mi · 1,018 people · home $151,800
- North Browning, MT21.5 mi · 2,653 people · home $187,500
- Valier, MT26.8 mi · 530 people · home $138,400
Heart Butte questions
Is Heart Butte, Montana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Heart Butte scores better for retirees than 45% of Montana towns and quieter than 28%. 7.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 25.2).
How much does a house cost in Heart Butte?
The median owner-occupied home in Heart Butte is valued at $46,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $31,389, so homes cost about 1.5 times income. Median rent is $455 a month.
What is the weather like in Heart Butte?
July highs average 73.8°F and January lows 13.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 30.4 inches of precipitation a year.
Does Heart Butte get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Heart Butte in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)