PlainZIP

Shepherd, MT · standard

ZIP Code 59079

Yellowstone County, Montana - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

3,481
4/sq mi
$68,047
Median income
$376,300
Median home value
23.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Shepherd pairs a below-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

43th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 23%
home value, US ZIPs
4
people per sq mi
96%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 59079 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 59079 covers 916.1 square miles in Shepherd, Yellowstone County, Montana (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,481 residents on file, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.

ZIP 59079 reports a modest median household income of $68,047 (3% below the Montana average), while per-capita income is $34,611. Poverty here runs at 6.9%, with unemployment measured at 6.2%. Housing costs here run $376,300 for a typical home value (15% above the state average), with rent averaging $1,744 a month; 95.8% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 23.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.9, and the average commute is 27 minutes. Montana and national benchmarks, shown above, are the best way to contextualize 59079, not the raw numbers alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 59079

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Shepherd, MT

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 59079.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 59079, Shepherd, MT · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

3,481

Population

916.1

Area (sq mi)

4

People / sq mi

Denver

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 59079?

45.9

Median Age

45.8%

Male

54.2%

Female

1.2%

Foreign-Born

White 88.0%
African American 0.0%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 2.6%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$68,047

Median Household Income

-3% vs state

$34,611

Per Capita Income

6.9%

Poverty Rate

6.2%

Unemployment Rate

27.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 59079 ranks nationally

Shepherd, MT household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$68,047 43rd percentile higher than 43% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 64.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 23.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

1,685

Total Housing Units

1,600

Occupied Units

85

Vacant Units

2.46

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 95.8%
Renter 4.2%

$376,300

Median Home Value

+15% vs state

$1,744

Median Rent

1990

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

-3.6%

YoY Change (2024)

337

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+237%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 59079 have decreased 3.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +237% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +5.2% 228
2021 +13.9% 260
2022 +23.6% 321
2023 +9.1% 350
2024 -3.6% 337

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 70 business establishments in ZIP 59079, employing approximately 231 people with a combined annual payroll of $11,742,000.

70

Businesses

231

Employees

$11.7M

Annual Payroll

9

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 19 27.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 11 15.7%
Other services (except public administration) 7 10.0%
Transportation and warehousing 5 7.1%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 5 7.1%
Wholesale trade 4 5.7%
Accommodation and food services 4 5.7%
Retail trade 3 4.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 4.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

More ZIP Codes in Yellowstone County

59102 standard
Billings, MT
Pop: 46,564
59101 standard
Billings, MT
Pop: 39,562
59105 standard
Billings, MT
Pop: 29,624
59106 standard
Billings, MT
Pop: 12,375
59044 standard
Laurel, MT
Pop: 10,971
59037 standard
Huntley, MT
Pop: 1,672

Related Areas

Yellowstone County Shepherd, MT Montana

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 59079 in? ▼
ZIP code 59079 (Shepherd) is located in Yellowstone County, Montana. Yellowstone County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/yellowstone-mt.
What is the population of ZIP code 59079? ▼
ZIP code 59079 in Shepherd, MT has a population of 3,481 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 59079? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 59079 is $68,047, which is 11% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 59079? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 59079 is $376,300, which is 35% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 59079? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 59079 is White at 88.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 59079? ▼
ZIP code 59079 has 70 business establishments employing approximately 231 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 59079? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 59079 are: Construction (19), Professional, scientific, and technical services (11), Other services (except public administration) (7). There are 9 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 59079? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 59079 decreased by 3.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 237%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 59079? ▼
In ZIP code 59079, 64.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 23.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 59079? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 59079 is 27.1 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 59079? ▼
In ZIP code 59079, approximately 95.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 4.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 59079? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 59079 is 6.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.