The Town FilesPoplar, Montana
City in Roosevelt County · population 758 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $95,000
- Household income
- $43,438
- Jan low / Jul high
- 0° / 84°
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 38.1
Poplar is a city of 758 people in Roosevelt County, Montana. The median home is worth $95,000, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). It ranks better transit than 99% of Montana towns, better for young professionals than 90% of Montana towns, more of a college town than 82% of Montana towns.
How Poplar 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 Poplar is worth $95,000, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $43,438, which is more affordable than 92% of Montana towns. Median rent is $665 a month. 76.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Poplar | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $95,000 | $249,800 |
| Median rent | $665 | $893 |
| Median household income | $43,438 | $63,249 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.2× | 4.2× |
| Homeownership | 76.6% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1953 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 6.2% | — |
Who lives in Poplar
| People | Poplar | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.1 | 40.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.5% | 19.6% |
| Under 18 | 21.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.6% | 25.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 34.5% | 10.9% |
| Veterans | 6.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.3% | — |
| Work from home | 4.0% | 8.5% |
| Average commute | 12.4 min | 19.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 46.4% | 86.6% |
Weather in Poplar
July highs average 83.6°F and January lows -0.1°F. About 14.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 23 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 206 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Poplar since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Montana town. The strongest, an F1, struck on June 26, 1959 about 0.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 25, 2005.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 12 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 21, 1999.
Severe weather in Roosevelt County since 1996
Roosevelt County has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 12, 2023 | Flood | DR-4726: Flooding |
| August 13, 2021 | Other | DR-4608: Straight-Line Winds |
| March 31, 2020 | Biological | DR-4508: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3476: Covid-19 |
| June 17, 2011 | Severe Storm | DR-1996: Severe Storms And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Roosevelt County
Roosevelt County had 3,392 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,249 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Poplar itself the ACS puts it at 13.9%.
Public schools in Poplar
4 public schools with 855 students, about 10.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poplar School | PK-4 | 334 | 9.3 |
| Poplar High School | 9-12 | 272 | 13.6 |
| Poplar 5-6 School | 5-6 | 126 | 8.4 |
| Poplar 7-8 | 7-8 | 123 | 8.8 |
Towns near Poplar
- Wolf Point, MT20.5 mi · 2,517 people · home $118,600
Poplar questions
Is Poplar, Montana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Poplar scores better for retirees than 13% of Montana towns and quieter than 17%. 14.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.1).
How much does a house cost in Poplar?
The median owner-occupied home in Poplar is valued at $95,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $43,438, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $665 a month.
What is the weather like in Poplar?
July highs average 83.6°F and January lows -0.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 14.2 inches of precipitation a year.
Does Poplar get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Poplar since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on June 26, 1959. The typical Montana town has had 1.
- 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)