Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
35% of residents live below the poverty line in Poplar, above both Montana’s towns (10%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 1 of the 43 Montana towns we compare have a lower January low than Poplar. Poplar is home to Fort Peck Community College. Poplar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Poplar beats most towns.
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Fort Peck Community College | 246 |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 1,152 in 1920, a peak of 1,565 in 1960, 758 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 3 maps from 1912 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Poplar, 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 Poplar.
Most working residents leave Poplar for work: only 14% work in town. Poplar’s average trip to work is 12 minutes, against 17 minutes in Montana’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Poplar fell to 363 in 2023, 143 fewer than in 2013.
| Poplar | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 39% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Poplar Elementary District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poplar SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 329 | D |
| Poplar High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 275 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Poplar has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 86° and January nights drop to 3°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
36% of Poplar adults say their health is fair or poor. Among 42 Montana towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Poplar. 23% of Poplar adults report frequent physical distress.
| Poplar | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 19% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | Poplar | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.7% | 9.3% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 16.7% | 20.3% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 22.2% | 6.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Poplar
About 9 of every 100 Poplar residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
Where Poplar’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
6 notable people were born in Poplar.
City in Montana, United States
Poplar is a city in Roosevelt County, Montana, United States. The population was 758 at the 2020 census. It is the tribal headquarters for the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, though Wolf Point is the most populous. The reservation is home to both the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, two distinct American Indian Nations. The U.S. Army constructed Camp Poplar here in the 1870s to oversee the reservation. Poplar became reservation headquarters after the military abandoned the camp in 1893. Poplar hosts a Native American Pow Wow called Poplar Indian Days every year, the first weekend in September that is well attended by locals and traveling dancers with prizes for dancers and drummers.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Poplar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
6 notable people were born here, including William S. Yellow Robe, Jr. and Frank Smith.