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MONTANA
Income & Poverty

Other facts sheets for Montana:

The data below describe the state rankings and selected characteristics of the immigrant and native-born populations in Montana in 2011.

Rankings
The following shows Montana's rankings in several categories. All rankings include the 50 states and the District of Columbia and are ranked highest to lowest.
  Rankings
Number of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 49 out of 51
Share of the foreign-born population living in poverty, 2011: 32 out of 51
Numeric change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 49 out of 51
Percent change in the foreign-born population in poverty, 2000 to 2011: 45 out of 51

Data Highlights
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Who are the foreign born?
The term foreign born refers to people residing in the United States at the time of the census who were not US citizens at birth. The foreign-born population includes naturalized citizens, lawful permanent immigrants, refugees and asylees, legal nonimmigrants (including those on student, work, or other temporary visas), and persons residing in the country without authorization. By comparison, the term native refers to people residing in the United States who were US citizens in one of three categories: 1) people born in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia; 2) people born in United States Insular Areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam; or 3) people who were born abroad to at least one US citizen parent.

We use the terms immigrants and foreign born interchangeably.

Earnings of Full-Time Workers
(This sheet describes earnings of civilian employed workers)

In Montana in 2011, 31.5 percent of foreign-born workers earned less than $25,000 a year and 31.1 percent earned $50,000 or more.
In Montana in 2011, 7.0 percent of full-time, year-round, immigrant workers (those working more than 50 weeks a year and more than 35 hours per week) earned less than $15,000 a year; 47.2 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 14.7 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 31.1 percent earned $50,000 or more. In comparison, 9.1 percent of full-time, year-round, native-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 38.0 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 21.6 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 31.3 percent earned $50,000 or more.

At the national level, 9.8 percent of full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers earned less than $15,000 a year; 40.9 percent earned between $15,000 and $35,000; 16.6 percent earned between $35,000 and $50,000; and 32.6 percent earned $50,000 or more.

Median Earnings by Nativity and Gender

Male immigrant workers had average annual earnings of $37,136 compared to $27,757 for female immigrant workers.
Among full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers in Montana in 2011, median earnings over the previous 12 months were $27,757 for women and $37,136 for men. The median earnings of noncitizen women were $28,114 and those of noncitizen men were $35,446. In comparison, naturalized-citizen women had median earnings of $27,560 and naturalized-citizen men $39,309. Among full-time, year-round, native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $30,702 for women and $41,816 for men.

At the national level, median earnings of full-time, year-round, foreign-born workers were $31,749 for women and $35,918 for men. The median earnings for noncitizen workers were $24,347 for women and $28,507 for men. Among naturalized-citizen workers, women had median earnings of $38,419 and men of $47,547. Among native-born workers, median earnings during the comparable period were $38,044 for women and $50,056 for men.

What Was the Poverty Threshold in 2011?
Whether any family is considered below the poverty threshold depends on the family's total income before taxes, not including any capital gains or noncash benefits, such as food stamps or housing subsidies.

The Census Bureau's poverty threshold varies depending on the number of adults and children in a family. The threshold is adjusted each month to account for inflation. Because respondents filled out the American Community Survey in different months, the poverty threshold that is applied to each family depends on the month in which the survey was taken.

To give a general idea of poverty levels, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, the average poverty threshold for a family of four in 2011 was $23,021; for a family of three, $17,916; for a family of two, $ 14,657; and for an unrelated individual, $11,484. All members of a family are assigned the same poverty status. Poverty thresholds are the same for the entire United States, despite differences in the cost of living across US communities.
Population in Poverty

The immigrant population in Montana living below the federal poverty threshold changed by 32.0 percent between 2000 and 2011.
Between 2000 and 2011, the foreign-born population living in poverty went from 2,902 to 3,830, representing a change of 32.0 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population living in poverty changed from 2,315 to 2,902 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 25.4 percent.

At the national level, the immigrant population below the poverty threshold increased from 3,435,394 to 5,473,300 between 1990 and 2000, representing a change of 59.3 percent, and grew from 5,473,300 to 7,797,199 (42.5 percent) between 2000 and 2011.

In 2011, 19.7 percent of the foreign-born population lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 19.7 percent of Montana's immigrant population lived below the poverty threshold, compared with 17.9 percent in 2000 and 18.9 percent in 1990. Meanwhile, 14.7 percent of the native-born population in Montana lived below the poverty threshold in 2011.

At the national level, 19.6 percent of the immigrants population lived below the poverty threshold in 2011, compared to 17.7 percent in 2000 and 17.9 percent in 1990. Nationally, 15.4 percent of the native-born population lived below the poverty threshold in 2011.

In Montana, 22.1 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 13.6 percent of naturalized citizens.

Of the foreign-born population in Montana in 2011, 22.1 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty, compared to 13.6 percent of naturalized citizens.

Nationally, 26.3 percent of noncitizens lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 11.5 percent of naturalized citizens.

Families with Children in Poverty

In Montana, 10.5 percent of all foreign-born families lived below the poverty threshold.
In 2011, 10.5 percent of all families headed by an immigrant had incomes below the poverty threshold. At the same time, 20.3 percent of foreign-born families with children under 18 lived below the poverty threshold. Foreign-born families consisting of a married couple and children under 18 were less likely to live below the poverty threshold than families consisting of a female and children under 18 with no husband present (16.7 versus 57.6 percent).

In comparison, 9.9 percent of all families headed by a native-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold, as did 17.1 percent of native families with children under 18. As with foreign-born families, native families consisting of a married couple with children under 18 were less likely to be living in poverty than families headed by a female and children under 18 with no husband present (8.0 versus 42.2 percent).

At the national level, 18.5 percent of families headed by a foreign-born person had incomes below the poverty threshold in 2011, while 24.6 percent of foreign-born families with children under 18 lived below the poverty threshold. Foreign-born families consisting of a married couple and children under 18 were less likely to live below the poverty threshold than foreign-born families consisting of a female and children under 18 (17.9 versus 45.2 percent).

Language Groupings

Indo-European languages include French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Yiddish, other West Germanic languages, Scandinavian languages, Greek, Russian, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, other Slavic languages, Armenian, Persian, Gujarathi, Hindi, and Urdu.

Asian and Pacific Island languages include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mon-Khmer/Cambodian, Miao/Hmong, Thai, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.

Other languages include Navajo, other Native North American languages, Hungarian, Arabic, Hebrew, and African languages.

Population in Poverty by Language Spoken at Home

In Montana, 18.8 percent of persons who spoke Spanish at home lived in poverty, compared to 28.2 percent of persons who spoke Asian or Pacific Island languages, and 21.7 percent of persons who spoke other Indo-European languages.
Of both native and foreign-born persons in Montana in 2011, 13.8 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 18.8 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 21.7 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 28.2 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 34.3 percent who spoke other languages.

Nationally, 13.6 percent of those who spoke only English lived in poverty, compared to 25.4 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home, 13.7 percent who spoke other Indo-European languages, 14.2 percent who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 26.7 percent who spoke other languages.




Table 1. Population by Poverty Status in Montana, 1990 to 2011
 

1990

2000

2011

  Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Household Population of Montana for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 773,225 100.0 882,696 100.0 974,025 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 126,163 16.3 131,892 14.9 144,054 14.8
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 86,420 11.2 97,351 11.0 111,104 11.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 560,642 72.5 653,453 74.0 718,867 73.8
Native Born 761,001 100.0 866,524 100.0 954,558 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 123,848 16.3 128,990 14.9 140,224 14.7
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 84,665 11.1 95,289 11.0 108,719 11.4
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 552,488 72.6 642,245 74.1 705,615 73.9
Foreign Born 12,224 100.0 16,172 100.0 19,467 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 2,315 18.9 2,902 17.9 3,830 19.7
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 1,755 14.4 2,062 12.8 2,385 12.3
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 8,154 66.7 11,208 69.3 13,252 68.1
 

Change 1990 to 2000

Change 1990 to 2011

Change 2000 to 2011

  Numeric Percent Numeric Percent Numeric Percent
Household Population of Montana for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 109,471 14.2 200,800 26.0 91,329 10.3
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 5,729 4.5 17,891 14.2 12,162 9.2
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 10,931 12.6 24,684 28.6 13,753 14.1
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 92,811 16.6 158,225 28.2 65,414 10.0
Native Born 105,523 13.9 193,557 25.4 88,034 10.2
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 5,142 4.2 16,376 13.2 11,234 8.7
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 10,624 12.5 24,054 28.4 13,430 14.1
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 89,757 16.2 153,127 27.7 63,370 9.9
Foreign Born 3,948 32.3 7,243 59.3 3,295 20.4
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 587 25.4 1,515 65.4 928 32.0
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level 307 17.5 630 35.9 323 15.7
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level 3,054 37.5 5,098 62.5 2,044 18.2
Notes: Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing. 2. Data for Alaska, Maine, Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia are from the US Census Bureau's pooled 2009-2011 ACS and for North Dakota and Wyoming are from 2007-2011 ACS. Data for the United States and the rest of the states are from 2011 ACS.
Sources: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), various years (see Note 2 above); 2000 Decennial Census; Steven Ruggles, J. Trent Alexander, Katie Genadek, Ronald Goeken, Matthew B. Schroeder, and Matthew Sobek. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 5.0 [Machine-readable database]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2011.

For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

Table 2. Income and Poverty Characteristics of the Population in Montana, 2011
POVERTY STATUS BY CITIZENSHIP
Household Population of Montana for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined 966,880
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 14.9
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 21.2
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 63.9
Native Born 946,958
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 14.9
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 21.2
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 64.0
Foreign Born 19,922
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 17.8
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 21.7
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 60.5
Noncitizen 9,877
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 22.1
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 20.5
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 57.4
Naturalized Citizen 10,045
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 13.6
100 to 199 percent of the poverty level 22.9
At or above 200 percent of the poverty level 63.5
EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Montana Age 16 And Older with Earnings, 2011 309,360
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 3.2
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 5.8
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 17.7
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 20.4
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 21.5
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 19.4
Earned $75,000 or more 12.0
Native Born 304,285
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 3.2
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 5.9
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 17.6
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 20.4
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 21.6
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 19.4
Earned $75,000 or more 11.9
Foreign Born 5,075
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.7
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 4.3
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 24.5
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 22.7
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 14.7
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 15.8
Earned $75,000 or more 15.3
Noncitizen 2,714
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 3
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 3.6
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 23
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 24.1
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 11.3
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 17.4
Earned $75,000 or more 17.6
Naturalized Citizen 2,361
Earned $1 to $9,999, or loss 2.3
Earned $10,000 to $14,999 5
Earned $15,000 to $24,999 26.3
Earned $25,000 to $34,999 21.2
Earned $35,000 to $49,999 18.6
Earned $50,000 to $74,999 13.9
Earned $75,000 or more 12.7
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers in Montana, 2011  
Male $41,783
Female $30,615
Native Born  
Male $41,816
Female $30,702
Foreign Born  
Male $37,136
Female $27,757
Noncitizen  
Male $35,446
Female $28,114
Naturalized Citizen  
Male $39,309
Female $27,560
SHARE OF FAMILIES IN POVERTY BY CITIZENSHIP AND FAMILY TYPE
All Families (Among Those for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined) 9.9
With related children under age 18 17.2
With related children under age 5 only 21.9
Married-couple families 5.3
With related children under age 18 8.2
With related children under age 5 only 10.5
Families with female householder, no husband present 32.6
With related children under age 18 42.3
With related children under age 5 only 50.7
Native-Born Families 9.9
With related children under age 18 17.1
With related children under age 5 only 21.9
Married-couple families 5.2
With related children under age 18 8.0
With related children under age 5 only 10.4
Families with female householder, no husband present 32.6
With related children under age 18 42.2
With related children under age 5 only 50.7
Foreign-Born Families 10.5
With related children under age 18 20.3
With related children under age 5 only N
Married-couple families 9.3
With related children under age 18 16.7
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present 28.9
With related children under age 18 57.6
With related children under age 5 only -
Noncitizen 11.4
With related children under age 18 22.1
With related children under age 5 only N
Married-couple families 11.8
With related children under age 18 21.7
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present N
With related children under age 18 N
With related children under age 5 only -
Naturalized Citizen 9.9
With related children under age 18 18.5
With related children under age 5 only N
Married-couple families 7.3
With related children under age 18 10.8
With related children under age 5 only N
Families with female householder, no husband present 29.0
With related children under age 18 63.3
With related children under 5 age only -
MEDIAN EARNINGS IN LAST 12 MONTHS BY PERIOD OF ENTRY
(IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Full-Time, Year-Round, Foreign-Born Workers in Montana, 2009  
Male $37,136
Female $27,757
Entered the United States in 2000 or Later  
Male $36,574
Female $29,206
Entered the United States between 1990 and 1999  
Male $28,466
Female $28,099
Entered the United States before 1990  
Male $41,154
Female $26,752
FOREIGN BORN IN POVERTY BY WORLD REGION OF BIRTH
Born in Africa N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Asia N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Europe N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Latin America (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean) N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Northern America (Canada, Bermuda, Greenland, and St. Pierre and Miquelon) N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Born in Oceania N
Below 100 percent of the poverty level N
Note: 1. Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing.

2. Data for Alaska, Maine, Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia are from the US Census Bureau's pooled 2009-2011 ACS and for North Dakota and Wyoming are from 2007-2011 ACS. Data for the United States and the rest of the states are from 2011 ACS.

The letter N indicates that a number could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), different years.

For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

Table 3. Poverty Status of Residents in Montana by Language Spoken at Home, 2011
 
Number
Percent
Household Population of Montana for Whom Poverty Status Is Determined, Age 5 and Older 914,045 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 130,461 14.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 783,584 85.7
Speaks Only English 871,886 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 120,040 13.8
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 751,846 86.2
Speaks Spanish 14,707 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 2,765 18.8
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 11,942 81.2
Speaks Other Indo-European Languages 12,133 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 2,630 21.7
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 9,503 78.3
Speaks Asian or Pacific Island Languages 3,753 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 1,060 28.2
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 2,693 71.8
Speaks Other Languages 11,566 100.0
Below 100 percent of the poverty level 3,966 34.3
At or above 100 percent of the poverty level 7,600 65.7
Note: Poverty status is not determined for unrelated individuals under the age of 15 (such as foster children) or for persons lacking conventional housing.

The letter N indicates that a number could not be provided by the Census Bureau because the number of sample cases was too small for this state.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey.
For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error, click here.

For data on these topics, click on the link: