Oliver H. Hovda House · National Register of Historic Places
Absarokee’s story
134 years in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1892Absarokee is settled
AbsarokeeMT
A town of 926, settled in 1892.
Oliver H. Hovda House · Photo: Dsetay · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
926
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$453K
+12% in a year
Household income
$77K
median
Median age
42.3
years
Jobs based here
216
A commuter town
Is Absarokee a good place to live?
27% of residents are 65 or older in Absarokee, above both the Montana town median (19%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Absarokee has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Oliver H. Hovda House and Sandstone and Cobblestone Schools. Absarokee has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
A shrinking town
Absarokee has shrunk 13% from 2010 to 2020
1,150 counted in 2010 and 1,000 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Getting set up
Moving to Absarokee: who provides what
Absarokee is unincorporated, so Stillwater County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNorthWestern Energy14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAbsarokee Water and Sewer DistNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers85% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesStillwater CountyStillwater County provides services here
SchoolsAbsarokee Elementary School DistrictAbsarokee High School District2 districts serve Absarokee; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteIn personMontana has no online registration; you can register in person up to and including Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereStillwater County Election AdministratorStillwater County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP code5900159001 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Absarokee.
Natural hazards
The FEMA risk score in Absarokee is higher than in most of Montana or the rest of the country
The FEMA risk score in Absarokee is 95 of 100.
95risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Absarokee’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Absarokee Elementary District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absarokee SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 79 | C+ |
| Absarokee High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 74 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
With 0.6 jobs for every working resident, most of Absarokee’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Absarokee for work: only 13% work in town. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Absarokee. The top destinations are Billings (15%), Columbus (12%) and Fishtail (3%).
13%work in town
| Absarokee | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 39% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Absarokee13%
Billings15%
Columbus12%
Fishtail3%
Red Lodge3%
23 mi
median commute distance
216
jobs based in Absarokee
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Absarokee, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Absarokee has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 15° and about 72 inches of snow falls in a winter.
72″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–39°
Spring31–57°
Summer50–82°
Fall33–60°
Sep 14
typical first frost
May 27
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Older than Montana overall
People 65 and older are 27% of residents (20% statewide). 37% of Absarokee adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
42.3median age · MT 40.4
| Absarokee | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 30% | 29% |
| Median age | 42.3 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
AbsarokeeMontanaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma0%
High school41%
Some college16%
Associate’s6%
Bachelor’s32%
Graduate5%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.2 points. Across Montana, 49.3% of residents are women.
| Absarokee | MT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.4% | 10% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.7% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.9% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.2% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 5.3% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.7% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 20.5% | 12.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.5% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 5.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 41.3% | 27.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 16% | 22.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.8% | 9.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 31.9% | 23.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5% | 12% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
Health
How healthy Absarokee is
Absarokee beats the Montana average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. Only 4 of the 42 Montana towns we compare have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Absarokee.
| Absarokee | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 72% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 32% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Montana
6 better24 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Absarokee | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.3% | 12.3% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.9% | 7.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.1% | 9.3% |
Stillwater Billings Clinic
13 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
The typical home in Absarokee is valued at about $453K
The typical Absarokee home is worth about $453,000, up 12% in a year, close to the Montana typical home.
$453KZillow home value
Typical home value
Absarokee$453K
Montana$467K
+12%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.1%conserved
0.1%
conserved · 1 of 1,366 acres
1.4 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Absarokee
17pages on Absarokee
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Absarokee; the nearest are
Montana Bible CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Billings43.2 mi$14,640 tuitionMontana State University BillingsUniversity or college · Public · Billings48.7 mi$7,280 in-state tuitionLittle Big Horn CollegeCommunity college · Public · Crow Agency96.9 mi$3,200 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Absarokee residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Montana.
Small town
926 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Landmarks
2 places in Absarokee on the National Register of Historic Places.
Questions about Absarokee
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Absarokee, MT a good place to live?
Absarokee has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.