MTMap-doton-Musselshell, 2005
Musselshell’s story
143 years in pictures
Census counts: 60 in 2000, 59 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2005 and a map from 1963 on.
- 1883Musselshell is settled
MusselshellMT
Settled in 1883, this town now has 36 residents.
Is Musselshell a good place to live?
33% of residents live below the poverty line in Musselshell, where Montana’s towns sit at 10% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Of the 43 Montana towns we compare, none has a higher age of the median resident than Musselshell. 23% of the land in Musselshell is conserved, above both Montana’s towns (9.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Musselshell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
36 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 Musselshell: who provides what
Musselshell is unincorporated, so Musselshell County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerFergus Electric Coop15.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMusselshell Community County WSDNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMusselshell CountyMusselshell County provides services here
SchoolsMelstone Elementary School DistrictRoundup High School District2 districts serve Musselshell; 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 hereMusselshell County Election AdministratorMusselshell County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code5905959059 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 Musselshell.
Outdoors
Musselshell keeps 23.2% of its land conserved
2.7 miles of trail. The concentration of trails for Musselshell comes to 1.1 miles per square mile.
23.2%conserved
23.2%
conserved · 376 of 1,622 acres
2.7 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Top of a high hazard risk in Musselshell: wildfire
The FEMA risk score in Musselshell is 72 of 100. Just over a third of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from wildfires, followed by inland flooding at 29%. One declared disaster, in 2011, has brought federal aid to Musselshell households.
72risk 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
Climate
Musselshell: snowy winters and pleasant summers
For Musselshell, the typical July afternoon high is 87°F.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–37°
Spring32–58°
Summer53–83°
Fall33–60°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Compared with most of Montana and the rest of the country, more of Musselshell’s adults have high blood pressure
27% of adults feel lonely in Musselshell. Only 4 of the 42 Montana towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Musselshell. The town beats the Montana average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
| Musselshell | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 32% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 31% | 33% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 20% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Montana
5 better19 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Musselshell | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.1% | 12.3% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.7% | 20.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.3% | 6.6% |
Roundup Memorial Healthcare
21.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Musselshell
14pages on Musselshell
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Musselshell; the nearest are
Montana State University BillingsUniversity or college · Public · Billings52.3 mi$7,280 in-state tuitionLittle Big Horn CollegeCommunity college · Public · Crow Agency68.8 mi$3,200 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Musselshell residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
About Musselshell
Census-designated place in Montana, United States
Musselshell is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Musselshell County, Montana, United States. The population of the CDP was 59 at the 2020 census. The village is located near the Musselshell River.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,995 ft
- ZIP code
- 59059
- Area code
- 406
Questions about Musselshell
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Musselshell, MT a good place to live?
Musselshell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.