Map the Block › Places › Montana › Sanders County
What are the crime rate and median income in Sanders County, Montana?
Sanders County averaged 2.4 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 45% lower than the Montana rate (4.4). Households here have a median income of $57,476 and the unemployment rate was 4.6% in August 2026. About 13,285 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Sanders County?
Police agencies in Sanders County reported an average of 33 violent crimes and 63 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 2.4: 45% lower than the Montana rate (4.4), and 35% lower than the national rate (3.7). Property crime ran at 4.6 per 1,000, against 17.8 statewide. Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (76%).
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Sanders County | Per 1,000 | Montana per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 33 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 7 | 0.51 | 0.61 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0.00 | 0.22 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 25 | 1.8 | 3.5 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 63 | 4.6 | 17.8 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 6 | 0.44 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 46 | 3.3 | 13.9 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 11 | 0.78 | 2.0 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (4 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Sanders County?
Median household income is $57,476, 21% lower than the statewide figure ($72,509). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $359,000 by its owners; renters pay a median $820. 11.2% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 7.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 235 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Sanders County | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,285 | 1,116,875 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $57,476 | $72,509 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $359,000 | $375,800 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $820 | $1,081 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 6.0% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 15.4% | 11.5% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 11.2% | 7.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 21.5% | 35.2% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 81.3% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 54.6 | 40.4 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 87.8% | 89.4% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 13.7% | 8.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Sanders County?
Sanders County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Sanders County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
Sanders County has 4 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 3 Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: Noxon Rapids (260 ft) and Upper Dry Fork (40 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
1 facility in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 7 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
No federal major disaster declaration covered Sanders County from 2016 through 2025 (COVID-19 excluded). EPA air monitors logged 0 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 12 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 1 (highest). NHTSA counted 3 traffic deaths in the county in 2024.
Is there road construction in Sanders County?
Montana does not publish an open highway work-zone feed that we can read yet, so road construction in Sanders County is not on our map. Check the state's 511 traveler site for current closures.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Sanders County?
Federal school lists show 16 public and 4 private schools in the county. 2 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 11 fire or EMS stations and 4 police or sheriff stations. 1 state park or recreation area: Thompson Falls State Park.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Sanders County?
Census tribal areas that reach into Sanders County: Flathead Reservation.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Sanders County
Gun shops
One gun shop with a public storefront is on the map in Sanders County, plus 10 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Daniel Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels INC (Plains).
Liquor stores
3 liquor stores are on the map in Sanders County: Montana Agency Liquor Store #108 (Plains), Montana Agency Liquor Store #61 (Hot Springs) and Montana Agency Liquor Store #7 (Thompson Falls).
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Sanders County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Sanders County?
Sanders County averaged 33 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 2.4 per 1,000 residents, 45% lower than the Montana rate (4.4). The property-crime rate was 4.6 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Sanders County?
$57,476 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $72,509 for Montana and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Sanders County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 235 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Sanders County?
Sanders County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
How many nursing homes are in Sanders County?
2 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Sanders County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonner County, ID | 51,049 | 0.85 | $66,979 |
| Flathead County | 110,695 | 3.3 | $73,925 |
| Lake County | 32,561 | 5.9 | $63,360 |
| Lincoln County | 21,175 | 1.7 | $47,143 |
| Mineral County | 4,959 | 3.0 | $63,450 |
| Missoula County | 120,672 | 4.9 | $75,598 |
| Shoshone County, ID | 13,785 | 3.1 | $55,527 |
More: Montana statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
Home · Open the map · All places · About the data · Privacy · Terms