Moncure Tipi · National Register of Historic Places
Busby’s story
122 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1904Busby is settled
BusbyMT
With 569 residents, this town was settled in 1904.
Moncure Tipi · Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
569
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$134K
Census ACS
Household income
$46K
median
Median age
32.2
years
Jobs based here
1
A commuter town
Is Busby a good place to live?
28% of residents live below the poverty line in Busby, against 10% in Montana’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town among the 43 in Montana we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Busby. Busby’s trail density is 1.5 miles per square mile, above both the Montana town median (0.6) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Moncure Tipi is on the National Register of Historic Places. Busby has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
569 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Busby: who provides what
Busby is unincorporated, so Big Horn County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerBig Horn County Elec CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterBusby Community Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers58% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBig Horn CountyBig Horn County provides services here
SchoolsLame Deer High School DistrictHardin Elementary School DistrictLodge Grass Elementary School District3 districts serve Busby; 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 hereBig Horn County Election AdministratorBig Horn County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code5901659016 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 Busby.
Schools
The schools Busby’s kids attend
Its one school is below. Public schools: Northern Cheyenne Tribal School. Busby’s only public school teaches 169 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Cheyenne Tribal SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 169 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
The FEMA risk score in Busby is higher than in most of Montana or the rest of the country
FEMA puts 39% of Busby’s expected hazard losses down to wildfires, and 36% to inland flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Busby once, in 2011. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 91% of U.S. communities.
91risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireInland floodingCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
About half of Busby’s working residents commute to Lame Deer
The top destinations are Lame Deer (50%), Ashland (5%) and Miles City (4%). Only 1% of working residents stay in Busby for work; the rest commute out. Half commute less than 18 miles.
1%work in town
Where working residents work
In Busby1%
Lame Deer50%
Ashland5%
Miles City4%
Billings3%
18 mi
median commute distance
1
jobs based in Busby
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
52″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–37°
Spring29–58°
Summer50–84°
Fall29–60°
Sep 15
typical first frost
May 23
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults in Busby feel lonely than in the typical Montana or U.S. town
In Busby, 27% of adults smoke cigarettes. Only one of the 42 Montana towns we compare has a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Busby. This Montana town does better than the Montana average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 23.
| Busby | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 19% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Montana
3 better6 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Busby | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.4% | 9.3% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 28.7% | 32.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 39% | 12.3% |
P H S Indian Hospital Crow / Northern Cheyenne
15 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 9,125 acres
21 mi
of trails · 1.5 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Busby
17pages on Busby
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Busby; the nearest are
Chief Dull Knife CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lame Deer16.6 mi$1,960 in-state tuitionMontana State University BillingsUniversity or college · Public · Billings76.9 mi$7,280 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Busby residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Montana.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Busby for work
Where Busby’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1jobs based in Busby
1%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Busby
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Busby, MT a good place to live?
Busby has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.