PlainZIP

Box Elder, MT · standard

ZIP Code 59521

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

3,475
5/sq mi
$50,288
Median income
$103,700
Median home value
18.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Box Elder pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, renter-heavy area.

15th pct
household income, US ZIPs
11th pct
home value, US ZIPs
5
people per sq mi
37%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 59521 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 59521 covers 755.4 square miles in Box Elder, Hill County, Montana (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,475 residents on file, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Denver time zone.

ZIP 59521 reports a modest median household income of $50,288 (28% below the Montana average), while per-capita income is $20,202. Local economic indicators show a 33.0% poverty rate alongside 10.7% unemployment. Housing costs here run $103,700 for a typical home value (68% below the state average), with rent averaging $406 a month; 37.4% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 30.2, and the average commute is -. The state and national benchmarks above give 59521's numbers context; they should not be read in isolation.

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 →

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 59521, Box Elder, 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

3,475

Population

755.4

Area (sq mi)

5

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 59521?

30.2

Median Age

53.8%

Male

46.2%

Female

0.2%

Foreign-Born

White 3.2%
African American 0.1%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native 94.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%

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?

$50,288

Median Household Income

-28% vs state

$20,202

Per Capita Income

33.0%

Poverty Rate

10.7%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 59521 ranks nationally

Box Elder, MT household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$50,288 15th percentile higher than 15% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 49.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 18.7%

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

What does housing look like?

1,123

Total Housing Units

1,001

Occupied Units

122

Vacant Units

3.51

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 37.4%
Renter 62.6%

$103,700

Median Home Value

-68% vs state

$406

Median Rent

1983

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 20 business establishments in ZIP 59521, employing approximately 513 people with a combined annual payroll of $31,898,000.

20

Businesses

513

Employees

$31.9M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 8 40.0%
Educational services 3 15.0%

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

More ZIP Codes in Hill County

59501 standard
Havre, MT
Pop: 12,638
59525 standard
Gildford, MT
Pop: 384
59540 standard
Rudyard, MT
Pop: 371
59528 standard
Hingham, MT
Pop: 208
59532 standard
Kremlin, MT
Pop: 180
59530 standard
Inverness, MT
Pop: 99

Related Areas

Hill County Box Elder, MT Montana

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 59521 in? ▼
ZIP code 59521 (Box Elder) is located in Hill County, Montana. Hill County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/hill-mt.
What is the population of ZIP code 59521? ▼
ZIP code 59521 in Box Elder, MT has a population of 3,475 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 59521? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 59521 is $50,288, which is 34% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 59521? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 59521 is $103,700, which is 63% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 59521? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 59521 is American Indian or Alaska Native at 94.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 59521? ▼
ZIP code 59521 has 20 business establishments employing approximately 513 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 59521? ▼
In ZIP code 59521, 49.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 59521? ▼
In ZIP code 59521, approximately 37.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 62.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 59521? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 59521 is 33.0% 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.