The Town FilesShepherd, Montana
Community in Yellowstone County · population 507 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $114,400
- Household income
- $80,125
- Jan low / Jul high
- 12° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 34 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 47.5
Shepherd is a community of 507 people in Yellowstone County, Montana. The median home is worth $114,400, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). It ranks easier by car than 100% of Montana towns, better for families than 70% of Montana towns.
How Shepherd 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 Shepherd is worth $114,400, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). Homes cost about 1.4 times the median household income of $80,125, which is more affordable than 98% of Montana towns. 100.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Shepherd | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $114,400 | $249,800 |
| Median rent | — | $893 |
| Median household income | $80,125 | $63,249 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.4× | 4.2× |
| Homeownership | 100.0% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1990 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Shepherd
| People | Shepherd | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.5 | 40.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.7% | 19.6% |
| Under 18 | 24.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.6% | 25.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.8% | 10.9% |
| Veterans | 14.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 33.0% | 8.5% |
| Average commute | 29.7 min | 19.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.0% | 86.6% |
Weather in Shepherd
July highs average 87.1°F and January lows 11.8°F. About 14.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 34.4 inches of snow (typical Montana town: 44.0 in). Expect about 39 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 182 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shepherd since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Montana town. The strongest, an F1, struck on May 24, 1990 about 2.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 6, 2011.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 79 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on July 5, 1996.
Severe weather in Yellowstone County since 1996
Yellowstone County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 16, 2022 | Flood | DR-4655: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| July 17, 2021 | Fire | FM-5399: Buffalo Wildfire |
| September 2, 2020 | Fire | FM-5344: Bobcat Fire |
| August 2, 2020 | Fire | FM-5324: Falling Star Fire |
| March 31, 2020 | Biological | DR-4508: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Yellowstone County
Yellowstone County had 87,348 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,688 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Shepherd itself the ACS puts it at 6%.
Public schools in Shepherd
3 public schools with 815 students, about 15.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd Elementary | PK-5 | 371 | 16.9 |
| Shepherd High School | 9-12 | 244 | 12.8 |
| Shepherd Middle School | 6-8 | 200 | 15.4 |
Towns near Shepherd
- Lockwood, MT8.4 mi · 7,195 people · home $235,400
- Worden, MT8.9 mi · 582 people · home —
- Billings, MT14.8 mi · 117,116 people · home $343,400
- Laurel, MT28.0 mi · 7,222 people · home $235,100
Shepherd questions
Is Shepherd, Montana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Shepherd scores better for retirees than 25% of Montana towns and quieter than 69%. 14.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.5).
How much does a house cost in Shepherd?
The median owner-occupied home in Shepherd is valued at $114,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $80,125, so homes cost about 1.4 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Shepherd?
July highs average 87.1°F and January lows 11.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 14.4 inches of precipitation a year and 34.4 inches of snow.
Does Shepherd get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shepherd since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on May 24, 1990. 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)