Wibaux County, Montana
Wibaux County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 [United States census|2020 census], the population was 937, making it the fourth-least populous county in Montana. Its county seat is Wibaux.
History
Wibaux County was created by the Montana Legislature in 1914 from parts of Dawson, Fallon, and Richland Counties. The name comes from Pierre Wibaux, a late 19th-century cattle baron and friend of Theodore Roosevelt whose ranch was just over the border. According to legend, Pierre Wibaux's cowboys surrounded the town of Mingusville, and wouldn't let anyone enter or leave town unless they signed a petition changing the name of the town to Wibaux. Upon his death, his ashes were spread over a hill west of Wibaux. Today, a statue of Pierre Wibaux stands on that hill.Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. It is the third-smallest county in Montana by land area.Adjacent counties
- Richland County – north
- Dawson County – northwest
- Prairie County – west
- Fallon County – south
- Golden Valley County, North Dakota – east
- McKenzie County, North Dakota – northeast
Major highways
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National protected area
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 937. Of the residents, 22.1% were under the age of 18 and 26.4% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 47.8 years. For every 100 females there were 101.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.4 males. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.The racial makeup of the county was 92.8% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.6% from some other race, and 5.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.9% of the population.
There were 405 households in the county, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 518 housing units, of which 21.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.6% were owner-occupied and 25.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 21.1%.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 1,017 people, 457 households, and 281 families in the county. The population density was. There were 538 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 97.6% white, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 46.3% were German, 13.7% were Polish, 13.4% were Irish, 12.1% were American, 9.5% were English, 8.0% were Norwegian, and 5.3% were Dutch.Of the 457 households, 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.5% were non-families, and 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age was 49.0 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,417 and the median income for a family was $51,354. Males had a median income of $43,438 versus $24,821 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,579. About 7.2% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.