© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
Living in
Butte-Silver Bow.
About
Life in Butte-Silver Bow
Living in Butte means embracing a place with serious character and a complicated past. The city's Victorian neighborhoods, especially Uptown, are genuinely beautiful—ornate homes and historic buildings that feel like stepping into another era, and restoration work is actually happening here. The job market is stable at 3.7% unemployment, with work spread across healthcare, energy, and Montana Tech, a solid engineering university.
Butte-Silver Bow at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
40.6 yrs
Poverty Rate
14.8%
Foreign-Born
1.2%
Broadband Internet
86.6%
of households
Population Growth
+2.8%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics1.2% foreign-born, most often from Japan
Who lives in Butte-Silver Bow: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Butte-Silver Bow, the largest foreign-born group is from Japan (25.2%), and 0.9% of residents speak Korean at home.
Under 18
20.2%
of residents
65 and Older
19.5%
of residents
Households with Kids
23.0%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
40.2%
of households
Married Couples
41.5%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.23
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 21% below MT average
Rent, home values, and income in Butte-Silver Bow
In Butte-Silver Bow, rent runs 21% below the MT average, and home values are 31% below the MT average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
40.6%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
23.7%
spending 50%+
Median Property Tax
$2,517
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
70.7%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1957
median year built
Vacant Homes
11.8%
of housing units
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.4 pts above MT average
Unemployment in Butte-Silver Bow
Unemployment in Silver Bow County, which includes Butte-Silver Bow, is 0.4 percentage points higher than the MT average.
Unemployment rate
Butte-Silver Bow: Silver Bow County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Silver Bow County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Butte-Silver Bow Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute16.9 min avg
How Butte-Silver Bow residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Butte-Silver Bow, most residents drive alone to work (77%), and 88% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 9 mi
Bert Mooney Airport (BTM)
Regional airport · few flights23k passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 41% above national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in the area policed by the Butte-Silver Bow County Sheriff's Office, which covers Butte-Silver Bow, runs 41% above the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
464.3
per 100,000 residents
Above average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
2,080.8
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
Policed by Butte-Silver Bow County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate)
Natural DisastersWinter Storm most common — 22 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Very Low
38.0 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Silver Bow County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Silver Bow County, which includes Butte-Silver Bow, the most common type is winter storm, with 22 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22 | Winter Weather | None reported |
| 2024 | 9 | Winter Weather | None reported |
| 2023 | 12 | Winter Weather | $15,000 |
| 2022 | 18 | Winter Weather | Not estimated |
| 2021 | 9 | Winter Weather | None reported |
| 2020 | 12 | Winter Weather | Not estimated |
| 2019 | 16 | Winter Storm | None reported |
| 2018 | 6 | Winter Storm | Not estimated |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
16 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Silver Bow County, county-wide
Air Quality28 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Silver Bow County, which includes Butte-Silver Bow, is typically good — 310 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
28
Good Days
310
per year
Moderate Days
55
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Silver Bow County, county-wide
Climate77°F summers, 8°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Butte-Silver Bow has mild summers (avg high 77°F) and very cold winters (avg low 8°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
52°/27°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
77°/44°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
55°/26°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
32°/8°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
12.8"
Annual Snowfall
15.2"
Hot Days/Year
7
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
220
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
107
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 8°F | 0.42" |
| Feb | 35°F | 10°F | 0.43" |
| Mar | 44°F | 19°F | 0.64" |
| Apr | 51°F | 26°F | 1.33" |
| May | 61°F | 34°F | 2.02" |
| Jun | 70°F | 41°F | 2.45" |
| Jul | 81°F | 46°F | 1.20" |
| Aug | 80°F | 44°F | 1.28" |
| Sep | 69°F | 37°F | 1.07" |
| Oct | 54°F | 27°F | 0.84" |
| Nov | 40°F | 16°F | 0.60" |
| Dec | 31°F | 7°F | 0.48" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 2.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Butte-Silver Bow
Butte-Silver Bow has 1 hospital, averaging 2.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating — below-average care.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
5.9%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
2.0 / 5
St James Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education16.0:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Butte-Silver Bow
Butte-Silver Bow's student/teacher ratio is 16.0:1, close to the national average of 16:1, and 28.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
12
within city limits
Private Schools
4
within city limits
College Degree Rate
28.1%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
16.0:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges & Universities in Butte-Silver Bow
Montana Technological University
Public · 4-year · 1,480 students · in-state tuition $8,770 · 59% graduate · median earnings $59,491 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, 36 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Butte-Silver Bow
Butte-Silver Bow has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site (36 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site
National Historic Site
36 mi awayBig Hole National Battlefield
National Battlefield
51 mi awayPublic Libraries in Butte-Silver Bow
Butte-Silver Bow Public Library
226 West Broadway, Butte
Butte-Silver Bow Public Library - South Branch
3100 Harrison Ave, Butte
Cities Near Butte-Silver Bow
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Butte-Silver Bow?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Butte-Silver Bow FAQ
Is Butte-Silver Bow, Montana affordable?⌄
Butte-Silver Bow's median rent is $856/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $61,857/year. Median home value is $257,800.
Is Butte-Silver Bow, Montana safe?⌄
Butte-Silver Bow is policed by the Butte-Silver Bow County Sheriff's Office, whose violent crime rate across its service area was 464 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is above the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 2081 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Butte-Silver Bow, Montana?⌄
Silver Bow County, which includes Butte-Silver Bow, has an unemployment rate of 3.7%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Butte-Silver Bow, Montana?⌄
The cost of living in Butte-Silver Bow is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $856/month and median household income is $61,857/year. The median home value is $257,800. About 41% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Butte-Silver Bow, Montana?⌄
The average commute in Butte-Silver Bow is 17 minutes, which is shorter than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from