Musselshell County is a county in south-central Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,730.[3] Its county seat is Roundup.[4]
Musselshell County | |
---|---|
![]() The Musselshell County Courthouse in Roundup | |
![]() Location within the U.S. state of Montana | |
![]() Montana's location within the U.S. | |
Coordinates: 46°29′N 108°24′W / 46.49°N 108.4°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Founded | February 2, 1911[1] |
Seat | Roundup |
Largest city | Roundup |
Area | |
• Total | 1,871 sq mi (4,850 km2) |
• Land | 1,868 sq mi (4,840 km2) |
• Water | 2.8 sq mi (7 km2) 0.1% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,730 |
• Estimate (2022) | 5,197 ![]() |
• Density | 2.5/sq mi (0.98/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
Congressional district | 2nd |
Website | musselshellcounty |
|
History
editMusselshell County was created in 1911 by Montana Governor Edwin L. Norris. The area was taken from Fergus, from Yellowstone, and Meagher counties. It was named for the Musselshell River which runs southwest–northeast through the county. That river had been thus named in 1805 by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, due to the abundance of freshwater mussels found along its banks. In 1915, a western portion of the county was partitioned off to form Golden Valley County, giving Musselshell County its present boundaries.
The county's northwestern area is rolling grasslands, which slope southeastward to the Musselshell River and the forested Bull Mountains in the southeast. The county has abundant natural resources of coal deposits, subterranean oil, and timbered slopes.[1]
Geography
editAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,863.91 square miles (4,827.5 km2), of which 1,861.16 square miles (4,820.4 km2) is land and 2.75 square miles (7.1 km2) (0.1%) is water.[5]
Major highways
editAdjacent counties
edit- Fergus County - northwest
- Petroleum County - north
- Rosebud County - east
- Yellowstone County - south
- Golden Valley County - west
National protected area
editPolitics
editIn the fourteen national elections after its organization, Musselshell County voters selected Republican presidential candidates 50% of the time, and Democratic candidates 50% of the time. However, since the 1968 election, the Republican candidate has been selected in every election.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 2,423 | 84.10% | 413 | 14.34% | 45 | 1.56% |
2016 | 1,967 | 80.58% | 332 | 13.60% | 142 | 5.82% |
2012 | 1,833 | 76.15% | 492 | 20.44% | 82 | 3.41% |
2008 | 1,581 | 68.56% | 636 | 27.58% | 89 | 3.86% |
2004 | 1,663 | 74.01% | 538 | 23.94% | 46 | 2.05% |
2000 | 1,582 | 71.68% | 512 | 23.20% | 113 | 5.12% |
1996 | 1,121 | 54.00% | 652 | 31.41% | 303 | 14.60% |
1992 | 876 | 39.32% | 648 | 29.08% | 704 | 31.60% |
1988 | 1,280 | 58.08% | 898 | 40.74% | 26 | 1.18% |
1984 | 1,541 | 65.32% | 781 | 33.11% | 37 | 1.57% |
1980 | 1,279 | 58.03% | 784 | 35.57% | 141 | 6.40% |
1976 | 1,117 | 54.09% | 922 | 44.65% | 26 | 1.26% |
1972 | 1,202 | 61.11% | 689 | 35.03% | 76 | 3.86% |
1968 | 953 | 51.15% | 795 | 42.67% | 115 | 6.17% |
1964 | 823 | 40.90% | 1,189 | 59.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 1,107 | 50.09% | 1,100 | 49.77% | 3 | 0.14% |
1956 | 1,165 | 51.10% | 1,115 | 48.90% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 1,253 | 50.08% | 1,240 | 49.56% | 9 | 0.36% |
1948 | 1,010 | 40.46% | 1,188 | 47.60% | 298 | 11.94% |
1944 | 1,004 | 42.27% | 1,342 | 56.51% | 29 | 1.22% |
1940 | 1,086 | 36.79% | 1,807 | 61.21% | 59 | 2.00% |
1936 | 771 | 25.58% | 2,092 | 69.41% | 151 | 5.01% |
1932 | 1,021 | 35.95% | 1,584 | 55.77% | 235 | 8.27% |
1928 | 1,608 | 50.55% | 1,444 | 45.39% | 129 | 4.06% |
1924 | 1,488 | 45.55% | 247 | 7.56% | 1,532 | 46.89% |
1920 | 1,910 | 59.22% | 951 | 29.49% | 364 | 11.29% |
1916 | 1,738 | 42.92% | 2,036 | 50.28% | 275 | 6.79% |
1912 | 483 | 30.80% | 470 | 29.97% | 615 | 39.22% |
Demographics
editCensus | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1920 | 12,030 | — | |
1930 | 7,242 | −39.8% | |
1940 | 5,717 | −21.1% | |
1950 | 5,408 | −5.4% | |
1960 | 4,888 | −9.6% | |
1970 | 3,734 | −23.6% | |
1980 | 4,428 | 18.6% | |
1990 | 4,106 | −7.3% | |
2000 | 4,497 | 9.5% | |
2010 | 4,538 | 0.9% | |
2020 | 4,730 | 4.2% | |
2022 (est.) | 5,197 | [8] | 9.9% |
U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790–1960,[10] 1900–1990,[11] 1990–2000,[12] 2010–2020[3] |
2020 census
editAs of the 2020 census, there were 4,730 people living in the county.[citation needed]
2010 census
editAs of the 2010 census, there were 4,538 people, 2,046 households, and 1,276 families in the county. The population density was 2.4 inhabitants per square mile (0.93/km2). There were 2,654 housing units at an average density of 1.4 units per square mile (0.54 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.1% white, 1.3% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.1% were German, 16.5% were English, 16.1% were Irish, 7.6% were Norwegian, and 7.0% were American.
Of the 2,046 households, 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.6% were non-families, and 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.78. The median age was 49.1 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,033 and the median income for a family was $47,860. Males had a median income of $33,182 versus $25,750 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,875. About 14.1% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
editCity
edit- Roundup (county seat)
Town
editUnincorporated communities
editCensus-designated places
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b About Musselshell County
- ^ The NaCo site lists county area as 1,871 sq. miles; the Census Bureau site lists 1,867.15; the Musselshell County website shows 1,965.
- ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 400 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 215 votes.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
- ^ Delphia MT Google Maps (accessed January 4, 2019)
- ^ Elso, MT Google Maps (accessed January 4, 2019)
- ^ Queens Point MT Google Maps (accessed January 4, 2019)