Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,619, settled in 1901. 2.5 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Montana town.
Plentywood’s best subject grades are an A− for walkability, an A+ for civic life, and an A for the outdoors; its weakest is a D for incomes. 57% of working residents work locally in Plentywood, above both the Montana town median (39%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). No town in Montana scores higher than Plentywood on hazard risk. No town in Montana scores higher than Plentywood on civic life. Plentywood’s trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile, where Montana’s towns sit at 0.6 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Plentywood has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Plentywood beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Montana), ordered by how far Plentywood is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 888 in 1920, a peak of 2,476 in 1980, 1,669 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1920 and 2 maps from 1954 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Plentywood, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Plentywood.
The typical Plentywood home is worth about $165,000, up 10.7% in a year, 65% below the Montana typical home. The median rent in Plentywood is $760 a month.
| Plentywood | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $760 a month | $1,000 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Plentywood K-12 Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plentywood SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 179 | B+ |
| Plentywood High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 101 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MT on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 92% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Plentywood has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Plentywood’s July high is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Since 2013, Plentywood has lost 165 jobs, to 760 in 2023. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Plentywood. Only 2 of the 43 Montana towns we compare have a lower average trip to work than Plentywood.
| Plentywood | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 10 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sportsman Park | 0.3 mi | 17 |
| 2. Harry DeSilva City Park | 0.1 mi | 6 |
| 3. Sherwood Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Plentywood beats the Montana average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 29% of Plentywood adults sleep under 7 hours. Among 42 Montana towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Plentywood.
| Plentywood | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 32% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 72% | 79% |
| What stands out | Plentywood | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.2% | 12.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 77.4% | 73.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.3% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Plentywood; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Plentywood residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
City in Montana, United States
Plentywood is a city in and the county seat of Sheridan County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,669 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.5 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Montana town.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
2 notable people were born here, including Dona Spring and Vern Fonk.