Slayton Mercantile Co. · National Register of Historic Places
Lavina’s story
143 years in pictures
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1883Lavina is settled
LavinaMT
Slayton Mercantile Co. · Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
141
2025 Census estimate · +2.2% since 2020
Typical home
$252K
+16.4% in a year
Household income
$41K
median
Median age
38.9
years
Land area
1 sq mi
Is Lavina a good place to live?
Lavina’s average trip to work is 53 minutes, above both the Montana town median (17 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 1 of the 42 Montana towns we compare have a lower median rent than Lavina. Its National Register listings include Slayton Mercantile Co. and Adams Hotel. Lavina has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Lavina stand out
Where Lavina beats most towns.
Small town
141 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lavina: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lavina, and how to reach them.
PowerFergus Electric Coop15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet2 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Lavina’s trash rules yet
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 hereGolden Valley County Election AdministratorGolden Valley County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2025
ZIP code5904659046 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 Lavina.
Housing
A typical Lavina home is worth about $252K
The typical Lavina home is worth about $252,000, up 16.4% in a year, 46% below the Montana typical home. 81% of Lavina households own their home, above both Montana’s towns (64%) and U.S. towns (73%).
$252KZillow home value
Typical home value
Lavina$252K
Montana$467K
+16.4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Lavina’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Lavina K-12 Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lavina ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 31 | B− |
| Lavina High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 23 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
In Lavina, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Lavina has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Lavina’s July high is 87°F.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–38°
Spring31–58°
Summer51–83°
Fall32–60°
Sep 15
typical first frost
May 22
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Montana overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 41% of residents (37% statewide). Lavina has grown 2.2% since 2020, to 141 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Montana.
38.9median age · MT 40.4
| Lavina | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.9 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 29% | 30% | 29% |
LavinaMontanaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
27%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school25%
Some college36%
Associate’s5%
Bachelor’s24%
Graduate5%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9 points. Across Montana, 49.3% of residents are women.
| Lavina | MT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.2% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 16.4% | 10% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.2% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 26.9% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.7% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.5% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.4% | 12.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.7% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.2% | 5.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.7% | 27.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 36.1% | 22.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.2% | 9.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.7% | 23.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.2% | 12% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 100, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazards
High risk in Lavina, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities.
61risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesLightning
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
Compared with most of Montana and the rest of the country, more of Lavina’s adults have high blood pressure
43% of adults have high blood pressure in Lavina. Among 42 Montana towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Lavina. 19% of adults report frequent physical distress in Lavina.
| Lavina | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 32% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 10% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 20% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Montana
3 better16 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Lavina | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.2% | 20.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.5% | 73.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.2% | 7% |
Roundup Memorial Healthcare
21.7 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Lavina has set aside 1.2% of its land for conservation
0.4 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Only 3 of the 43 Montana towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Lavina.
1.2%conserved
| Lavina | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 9.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
1.2%
conserved · 8 of 642 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lavina City Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lavina
17pages on Lavina
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lavina; the nearest are
Rocky Mountain CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Billings39.1 mi$35,582 tuitionMontana State University BillingsUniversity or college · Public · Billings39.8 mi$7,280 in-state tuitionLittle Big Horn CollegeCommunity college · Public · Crow Agency85.8 mi$3,200 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Lavina residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
Landmarks
4 places in Lavina on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Lavina
Town in Montana, United States
Lavina is a town in Golden Valley County, Montana, United States. The population was 136 at the 2020 census. The town is situated on the north bank of the Musselshell River. The town became a stage stop in 1882. The town incorporated in 1920.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,448 ft
- ZIP code
- 59046
- Area code
- 406
Questions about Lavina
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lavina, MT a good place to live?
Lavina has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.