The Town FilesScobey, Montana
City in Daniels County · population 999 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $188,200
- Household income
- $52,250
- Jan low / Jul high
- -1° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 23 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 57.1
Scobey is a city of 999 people in Daniels County, Montana. The median home is worth $188,200, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). It ranks better for a vacation home than 93% of Montana towns, better for retirees than 90% of Montana towns, quieter than 89% of Montana towns.
How Scobey 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 Scobey is worth $188,200, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). Homes cost about 3.6 times the median household income of $52,250, which is more affordable than 67% of Montana towns. Median rent is $573 a month. 78.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Scobey | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $188,200 | $249,800 |
| Median rent | $573 | $893 |
| Median household income | $52,250 | $63,249 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.6× | 4.2× |
| Homeownership | 78.4% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1955 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 14.7% | — |
Who lives in Scobey
| People | Scobey | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 57.1 | 40.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 35.4% | 19.6% |
| Under 18 | 17.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.7% | 25.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 10.9% |
| Veterans | 12.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.2% | — |
| Work from home | 4.8% | 8.5% |
| Average commute | 11.2 min | 19.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.0% | 86.6% |
Weather in Scobey
July highs average 83.6°F and January lows -0.7°F. About 13.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 22.9 inches of snow (typical Montana town: 44.0 in). Expect about 20 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 207 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scobey since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Montana town. The strongest, an F1, struck on June 11, 1972 about 7.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 20, 2001.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 34 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 11, 2004.
Severe weather in Daniels County since 1996
Daniels County has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, biological.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 11, 2023 | Flood | DR-4745: Flooding |
| August 12, 2023 | Flood | DR-4726: Flooding |
| March 31, 2020 | Biological | DR-4508: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3476: Covid-19 |
| May 24, 2019 | Flood | DR-4437: Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Daniels County
Daniels County had 559 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,725 a year. Unemployment was 1.9% in 2023; in Scobey itself the ACS puts it at 0.8%.
Public schools in Scobey
3 public schools with 277 students, about 13.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scobey School | PK-6 | 149 | 12.4 |
| Scobey High School | 9-12 | 77 | 11.0 |
| Scobey 7-8 | 7-8 | 51 | 25.5 |
Scobey questions
Is Scobey, Montana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Scobey scores better for retirees than 90% of Montana towns and quieter than 89%. 35.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 57.1).
How much does a house cost in Scobey?
The median owner-occupied home in Scobey is valued at $188,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $52,250, so homes cost about 3.6 times income. Median rent is $573 a month.
What is the weather like in Scobey?
July highs average 83.6°F and January lows -0.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 13.5 inches of precipitation a year and 22.9 inches of snow.
Does Scobey get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scobey since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on June 11, 1972. 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)