Phillips County is located in North Central Montana. The area has a rich history of homesteaders outlaws ranchers, Cowboys, Native Americans and even dinosaurs.
Area Private & Public Lands
Historically this area was home to the Blackfeet Assiniboine and Gros Ventre peoples, who lived largely nomadic lives, moving with the availability of bison, gathered crops and other natural resources.
Livestock were brought to the area in the 1880’s by European Settlers, establishing the foundation for an industry that is still crucially important for Phillips County today.
Phillips County is rural and sparsely populated, with fewer than one person per square mile living in the county today. It’s often said there are more cows than people in Phillips County, and a recent statistic proves that.
The communities of Malta, Saco, Landusky, Loring, Whitewater, and Dodson make up much of the population in Phillips County. Nearly all services needed by the 4,000 people who call Phillip County home are located in Malta, including the hospital, assisted living (opened 2024), senior center, grocery and public library.
Agriculture
Over 58% of land is classified as farmland. Cattle comprise 64% of land designated agriculture and grain production accounts for another 24%. The remaining 12% of farmland is used for other crops such as hay and other non-cattle livestock. In 2017 there was $74 million of farm revenue and $23 million of net farm cash income for Phillips County agriculturalists. (Montana State University, 2017)
- 445 farms in Phillips County on over 1,.940,000 acres
- 79% are operated by a family or an individual
- Average farm size is 4352 acres, about 54% of farms are 1000 acres or more
- In calendar year 2017, 285 farms harvested crops on just over 265,000 acres
(USDA NASS 2017)
Land Ownership Breakdown
- 48% of Phillips County held in Private land owners
- 47% is federal and state lands
- 4% is Fort Belknap tribal lands
- 1% local government lands
Population
The Phillips County population remained relatively steady between 2014 (4,174) and 2020 (4,217). Census estimates indicated a decline in population from 2014 to 2019, however in 2020 the population rose 6.2%.
Adult Population
Overall, 76.6% of Phillips County’s adult population are older than 18 and younger than 65. This indicates that the population is not ‘aging out’ as is occurring in many other rural parts of Montana. There are many young people and young families in the county, a positive indicator of future, social and economic opportunity.
Median Household Income 2014-2018
Between the years 2014 and 2018, the Phillips County median household income increased at a higher rate than the State of Montana – Phillips County 16.8% increase, Montana 0.8% increase.
Poverty Estimates 2014-2019
Poverty is an issue in several parts of Montana, including Phillips County. Between 2014 and 2019, the poverty rate in the State of Montana decreased 0.2% and decreased in Phillips County 1.4% (from 13.8% down to 12.4%).
Housing
Home ownership is higher in Phillips County at 79.9% than the Montana average of 79.4%.
Housing Inventory by Age
According to the 2020 American Community Survey 5-year estimate profile, there are 2,229 housing units in Phillips County, where 1,770 houses are occupied and 459 houses are vacant. The majority of housing inventory was built between 1940 and 2009. Demographics show that 3.5% of residents in Phillips County moved into the area in 2019 or later.
Owner-Occupied Home Values
The majority of homes in the county are valued between $150,000 and $300,000, however the county’s housing inventory continues to age.
Economic Growth
By Industry
Phillips County has seen 6.7% growth in 2020 according to the US Census Bureau. Most residents are employed in the Agriculture, Fishing and Hunting (21.4%) and Educational Services and Health Care and Social Assistance sectors (15.7%).
These numbers are lower than in 2015, while the retail, art’s, entertainment service sectors have seen an increase in employment. Generally, this is an employment shift to sectors with lower paying jobs.
