Fort Benton, MT · standard
ZIP Code 59442
Chouteau County, Montana - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,789
- 1/sq mi
- $67,917
- Median income
- $254,000
- Median home value
- 28.5%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Fort Benton pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 43rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 42%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 1
- people per sq mi
- 78%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 59442 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 59442 covers 2236.3 square miles in Fort Benton, Chouteau County, Montana (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,789 residents on file, a density of 1 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.
ZIP 59442 reports a modest median household income of $67,917 (3% below the average Montana ZIP), while per-capita income is $29,690. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 3.0% and unemployment is 0.8%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $254,000 (22% below the average Montana ZIP), and median rent is $686; owner occupancy is 78.0%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 28.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42, and the average commute is -. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the Montana and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 59442.
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 59442
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Fort Benton, MT
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 59442.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
17 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
12 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
10 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
9 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
8 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, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 59442, Fort Benton, 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
1,789
Population
2236.3
Area (sq mi)
1
People / sq mi
Denver
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 59442?
42.0
Median Age
48.8%
Male
51.2%
Female
2.1%
Foreign-Born
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?
$67,917
Median Household Income
-3% vs state ZIP avg
$29,690
Per Capita Income
3.0%
Poverty Rate
0.8%
Unemployment Rate
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
950housing units
950
Total Housing Units
677
Occupied Units
273
Vacant Units
2.63
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$254,000
Median Home Value
-22% vs state ZIP avg
$686
Median Rent
1959
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
+12.2%
YoY Change (2022)
270
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+170%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 59442 have increased 12.2% over the past year (2022). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +170% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +7.2% | 187 |
| 2019 | +7.2% | 200 |
| 2020 | +0.6% | 201 |
| 2021 | +19.7% | 241 |
| 2022 | +12.2% | 270 |
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 2022. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 93 business establishments in ZIP 59442, employing approximately 502 people with a combined annual payroll of $22,058,000.
93
Businesses
502
Employees
$22.1M
Annual Payroll
10
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 17 | 18.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 12 | 12.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 10 | 10.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 9 | 9.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 8 | 8.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | 7 | 7.5% |
| Construction | 6 | 6.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 5 | 5.4% |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 4.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 3.2% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 59442, both outside MT so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,789 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.