Gildford Auto Co. Garage, 2006
Gildford’s story
123 years in pictures
The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 4 maps from 1920 on.
- 1903Gildford is settled
GildfordMT
Population 217: a town settled in 1903.
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
217
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$248K
+1.4% in a year
Household income
$99K
median
Median age
43.8
years
Land area
1 sq mi
Is Gildford a good place to live?
No town among the 43 in Montana we compare has a higher mean commuting time than Gildford. Gildford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
217 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 Gildford: who provides what
Gildford is unincorporated, so Hill County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNorthWestern Energy14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHill County Water DistrictsNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesHill CountyHill County provides services here
SchoolsNorth Star Elementary School DistrictNorth Star High School District2 districts serve Gildford; 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 hereHill County Election AdministratorHill County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2023
ZIP code5952559525 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 Gildford.
Housing
The median rent in Gildford is lower than in most of Montana or the rest of the country
In Gildford, 77% of households live in a home they own, where Montana’s towns sit at 64% and U.S. towns at 73%. A typical home locally is worth about $248,000, up 1.4% in a year, 47% below the Montana typical home.
$248KZillow home value
| Gildford | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $605 a month | $1,000 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Gildford$248K
Montana$467K
+1.4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Gildford’s kids attend
Its one school is below. 83 students attend Gildford’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Star SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 83 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Gildford has a very low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from cold waves
FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in Gildford than in 87% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Gildford once, in 2011. Expected losses in Gildford break down as 53% from cold waves and 39% from inland flooding.
13risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Gildford, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 29 inches of snow, with January nights at 5° and July afternoons at 84°.
29″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter7–30°
Spring28–55°
Summer49–81°
Fall29–56°
Sep 15
typical first frost
May 24
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults in Gildford have high blood pressure than in the typical Montana or U.S. town
Gildford: 40% of adults have obesity. In Gildford, 14% of adults have diabetes, against 10% in Montana’s towns and 12% across U.S. towns. Among 42 Montana towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Gildford.
| Gildford | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 32% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 32% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Montana
1 better18 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Gildford | MT |
|---|---|---|
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.1% | 82.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.3% | 7% |
Northern Montana Hospital
28.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of Gildford is conserved land
Trails run 0.4 miles in 1 park or preserve. One park or preserve covers 2 acres in Gildford.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 721 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gildford Community Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gildford
16pages on Gildford
The big questions
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Gildford; the nearest are
Stone Child CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Box Elder28 mi$3,610 in-state tuitionGreat Falls College Montana State UniversityCommunity college · Public · Great Falls87.4 mi$4,028 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Gildford residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
About Gildford
Census-designated place in Montana, United States
Gildford is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hill County, Montana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Gildford had a population of 141. The town was named for Guildford, England. A flour mill, which milled Golden Grain Flour, operated from 1915 to 1951.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,831 ft
- ZIP code
- 59525
Questions about Gildford
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gildford, MT a good place to live?
Gildford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.