Garfield County is a sparsely populated county in northeastern Montana, encompassing a broad expanse of plains and badlands along the Missouri River and its tributaries. Created in 1913 from portions of neighboring counties and named for President James A. Garfield, it developed during the early 20th-century homesteading era and has remained closely tied to the wider Missouri Breaks region. The county is small in population, with only a few thousand residents, and settlement is dispersed across large ranches and small unincorporated communities. Land use is predominantly agricultural, especially cattle ranching, with limited local industry and a strong reliance on regional service centers outside the county. The landscape is characterized by open prairie, rugged breaks, and coulees, with large areas of public land supporting grazing and outdoor recreation. The county seat is Jordan, the primary administrative and commercial hub.

Garfield County Local Demographic Profile

Garfield County is a sparsely populated county in eastern Montana, within the state’s Great Plains region. Its county seat is Jordan, and local government information is maintained through the Garfield County official website.

Population Size

Age & Gender

County-level detail for age distribution and gender ratio is published by the U.S. Census Bureau through the county profile tables linked from the county’s QuickFacts page.

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Household & Housing Data

  • The U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Garfield County, Montana provides core household and housing measures commonly used for local profiles, including number of households, average household size, owner-occupied housing rate, and housing unit counts (where available in the QuickFacts indicator set).
  • For more granular housing and household characteristics (such as occupancy status, tenure by household type, and housing structure/age), county-specific tables are available through data.census.gov (ACS “Housing” and “Selected Social Characteristics” tables for Garfield County, Montana).

Email Usage

Garfield County, Montana is very sparsely populated and largely rural, so long distances between households and limited last‑mile infrastructure can constrain reliable home internet access and, by extension, routine email use.

Direct county-level email usage rates are not typically published; broadband and device access serve as proxies for likely email adoption. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS) tables on internet and computer access, county measures such as the share of households with a broadband subscription and the share with a desktop/laptop computer are standard indicators of whether residents can consistently access email from home. Areas with lower broadband subscription and computer availability generally face more friction for regular email use, relying more on smartphones, public access points, or intermittent connections.

Age structure also influences email adoption: older populations tend to have lower overall internet use and different communication preferences, while working-age residents more often require email for employment, services, and commerce. Garfield County’s age distribution and sex composition can be referenced via ACS demographic profiles; gender differences are generally secondary to age and connectivity constraints.

Connectivity limitations are shaped by rural service footprints and coverage gaps documented in FCC Broadband Maps.

Mobile Phone Usage

Garfield County is a sparsely populated, largely rural county in eastern Montana on the northern Great Plains. Its low population density, large distances between settlements, and extensive rangeland create longer “last‑mile” and “middle‑mile” network runs than in urban counties, which generally increases the cost and complexity of both cellular buildout and fixed broadband deployment. Basic county facts (population, housing, density, and settlement patterns) are available from the U.S. Census Bureau via Census.gov QuickFacts for Garfield County.

Data and interpretation notes (availability vs. adoption)

  • Network availability refers to where providers report service (coverage) and/or where regulators map service.
  • Adoption refers to whether households or individuals actually subscribe to and use mobile voice/data service, and the devices they use.
  • County-level adoption metrics specific to “mobile penetration” are limited. Most high-quality adoption indicators are published at the state level or for larger geographies, while coverage is mapped in more granular detail.

Network availability (cellular coverage) in Garfield County

FCC mobile coverage mapping (4G/5G availability)

The primary U.S. public source for mobile broadband coverage is the Federal Communications Commission’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC). The FCC publishes provider-reported coverage for:

  • 4G LTE mobile broadband
  • 5G (including low-band/sub‑6 and mmWave where reported)

Coverage varies substantially within large rural counties, often tracking highways and populated nodes more closely than remote rangeland. Official FCC mobile availability layers and map tools are accessible through the FCC National Broadband Map. The FCC map distinguishes:

  • Technology type (LTE vs. 5G variants where provided)
  • Provider-reported availability at mapped locations

Because the FCC map is provider-reported and location-based, it is best suited to describing where service is advertised as available, not the quality of service experienced or whether residents subscribe.

State broadband resources (coverage and planning context)

Montana’s statewide broadband planning and mapping resources provide context on rural connectivity constraints and infrastructure priorities, including areas where wireless or fixed broadband service is limited. State resources are available via the Montana Broadband Office. These materials are useful for understanding regional constraints (distance, backhaul availability, and service gaps), but they do not generally publish county-specific “mobile penetration” rates.

Adoption and access indicators (household adoption vs. availability)

Household internet subscription indicators

The most consistently available public adoption indicator at county scale is household internet subscription (overall), rather than “mobile-only” subscription. The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) provides estimates on household internet subscriptions and device types, typically at the county level when sample sizes permit. Relevant ACS tables include:

  • Internet subscription categories (broadband such as cable/fiber/DSL, cellular data plan, satellite, etc., as available in ACS)
  • Computing device types (smartphone, desktop/laptop, tablet, etc.)

County-level access/adoption data can be retrieved from the Census Bureau via data.census.gov using ACS “Computer and Internet Use” tables, and Garfield County profiles are summarized through Census.gov QuickFacts (QuickFacts emphasizes broader demographic and housing indicators; detailed device/subscription categories are more explicit in ACS tables on data.census.gov).

Limitation: ACS estimates in very low-population counties can have larger margins of error and may be suppressed or less stable for fine-grained categories (for example, distinguishing “cellular data plan” subscriptions from other subscription types). This constrains the precision of county-level “mobile penetration” statements.

Mobile vs. fixed substitution (“mobile-only” reliance)

Nationally, some households rely on mobile broadband in place of fixed broadband (“mobile-only” internet). County-specific rates for mobile-only reliance are not consistently published in a single authoritative county dataset. The most defensible county-scale approach is to use ACS internet subscription and device tables (where statistically reliable) to infer patterns, while clearly noting margins of error.

Mobile internet usage patterns (4G vs. 5G) and service characteristics

4G LTE

In rural counties, 4G LTE generally remains the baseline mobile broadband layer because it offers wider-area coverage per site than higher-frequency 5G deployments. FCC BDC map layers provide the best public depiction of reported LTE availability in Garfield County via the FCC National Broadband Map.

5G

5G availability in rural areas is commonly concentrated where carriers have deployed low-band 5G overlays on existing macro sites. Higher-capacity 5G deployments (mid-band at high density, and mmWave) are typically associated with denser population centers. County-specific 5G coverage areas and carrier claims should be referenced directly in FCC BDC layers rather than generalized, using the FCC National Broadband Map.

Limitation: Public sources generally map availability rather than usage share (the fraction of traffic on LTE vs. 5G) at the county level. Carrier network analytics and device telemetry that would quantify LTE/5G usage splits are not typically available as public county datasets.

Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)

County-level indicators for device ownership and use are best sourced from the Census Bureau’s ACS “Computer and Internet Use” tables, which distinguish among:

  • Smartphones
  • Tablets
  • Desktop/laptop computers
  • Other device categories depending on the table year and release

These tables are accessible via data.census.gov and can be filtered to Garfield County, Montana. In small counties, some device-type estimates may carry high sampling error; the ACS margins of error provide the appropriate reliability signal.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage in Garfield County

Low density and distance-to-infrastructure effects (availability)

  • Sparse settlement patterns increase the per-user cost of adding towers and fiber/microwave backhaul.
  • Large service areas per site are typical, which can reduce capacity and indoor coverage consistency relative to denser areas.
  • Transportation corridors and populated nodes often receive stronger coverage priority than remote areas, reflecting engineering and economic realities of site placement.

Geographic context and population distribution can be summarized from Census.gov QuickFacts for Garfield County, while availability is best validated through the FCC National Broadband Map.

Household characteristics and adoption constraints (adoption)

  • Housing dispersion and limited fixed broadband options can increase reliance on mobile service for basic connectivity in some rural areas, but county-specific “mobile-only” adoption rates are not consistently published as a definitive statistic.
  • Income, age distribution, and seasonal/occupational patterns influence adoption and device mix, but rigorous county-level mobile-device and mobile-plan adoption metrics are primarily derived from ACS tables and may be imprecise in very small counties.

Demographic baselines (age distribution, income, housing) are available from Census.gov QuickFacts, with deeper adoption and device detail in ACS on data.census.gov.

Summary: what can be stated reliably

  • Availability: The most authoritative public source for 4G/5G mobile broadband availability in Garfield County is the FCC’s provider-reported BDC coverage via the FCC National Broadband Map. This supports statements about where LTE and 5G are reported as available.
  • Adoption: County-level “mobile penetration” and “mobile-only internet” metrics are not consistently available as definitive statistics. The most defensible public county-level indicators related to mobile access are ACS estimates on internet subscription types and device types from data.census.gov, interpreted with attention to margins of error in a very low-population county.
  • Contextual drivers: Garfield County’s rural geography and low population density, documented via Census.gov QuickFacts, are structural factors that shape network economics and therefore influence both coverage patterns and adoption options.

Social Media Trends

Garfield County is a very sparsely populated, rural county in eastern Montana, with Jordan as the county seat and a local economy tied largely to ranching and agriculture. Long travel distances, low population density, and limited local media outlets tend to make mobile connectivity and community-oriented Facebook Groups/pages comparatively important for local information sharing, while broadband availability can shape how heavily residents rely on video-heavy platforms.

User statistics (penetration and activity)

  • Overall U.S. benchmark: About 69% of U.S. adults use at least one social media site (Pew Research Center, 2023). See Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use in 2023.
  • County-level availability: Direct, county-specific social media penetration estimates are not consistently published by major public surveys for very small counties such as Garfield County; most reliable measures are national or statewide samples. As a practical reference point, Montana’s rural composition typically aligns more closely with non-metro usage patterns reported in national datasets than with large urban counties.
  • Connectivity context: Rural access constraints can affect participation in high-bandwidth activities (streaming, long-form video), which can indirectly influence platform mix. Public broadband context is tracked via the FCC National Broadband Map.

Age group trends (who uses social media most)

National survey patterns consistently show the highest usage among younger adults and lower usage among older adults:

  • 18–29: highest overall social media use across platforms.
  • 30–49: high usage, typically second-highest overall.
  • 50–64: moderate usage; platform mix skews toward Facebook.
  • 65+: lowest overall usage, with Facebook remaining the dominant platform among users. Source: Pew Research Center (2023) social media use.

Gender breakdown

Nationally, gender differences vary by platform more than by “any social media” usage:

  • Women tend to be more prevalent on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
  • Men tend to be more prevalent on YouTube and X (Twitter) in several survey series, and usage is often closer to parity on some platforms. Source: Pew’s platform-by-demographic tables summarized in Pew Research Center (2023).

Most-used platforms (with percentages where available)

Reliable platform shares are best represented using national benchmarks:

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and preferences)

  • Facebook as a local information utility: In rural counties, Facebook commonly functions as a hub for community updates, school and sports announcements, local commerce listings, and event coordination, reflecting its broad adoption and Group/Page infrastructure.
  • Video consumption remains dominant: YouTube’s high penetration nationally supports heavy use for how-to content, news clips, weather, agriculture and equipment information, and entertainment, with short-form video growth influenced by bandwidth quality.
  • Age-driven platform segmentation: Younger adults drive comparatively higher usage of Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, while older adults concentrate more on Facebook and, to a lesser extent, YouTube (Pew 2023).
  • Engagement style differences by platform: National research indicates more passive consumption (scrolling/reading/watching) than frequent posting for many users, with higher posting intensity concentrated among smaller user segments. See synthesis and historical trend context in Pew Research Center’s Social Media Fact Sheet.
  • News and civic content overlap: A meaningful share of U.S. adults report getting news on social media, reinforcing the role of major platforms in local awareness where traditional local outlets are limited. Reference: Pew Research Center’s Social Media and News Fact Sheet.

Family & Associates Records

Garfield County, Montana, maintains family and associate-related public records primarily through state and county offices. Birth and death records are Montana vital records; certified copies are issued by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Vital Records section, rather than by the county clerk (Montana Vital Records). Adoption records are generally sealed under state law and are handled through state processes rather than county public files.

Marriage licenses are typically recorded by the county clerk/recorder and may be available as recorded documents. Property records (deeds), liens, and other recorded instruments that can reflect family or associate relationships are maintained by the county clerk and recorder (Garfield County Clerk & Recorder). Court case records (e.g., probate/estates, civil matters) are maintained by the Garfield County Clerk of District Court; many Montana courts use statewide access tools for case information (Montana Judicial Branch – Clerks of Court).

Public databases vary by record type. Recorded documents may be searchable through county systems or in-office indices, while statewide court information is commonly accessed through Montana’s judiciary services. Access occurs online when a system is available, or in person at the relevant office during business hours; fees commonly apply for copies and certifications.

Privacy restrictions apply to vital records (birth/death) and adoption files; certified access is limited by statute and identity/relationship requirements.

Marriage & Divorce Records

Types of records available

Marriage records

  • Marriage licenses and applications: Created and issued by the county clerk of court prior to the ceremony.
  • Marriage certificates/returns: Completed by the officiant after the ceremony and returned for filing with the county clerk of court. These filed returns are the county’s record that the marriage was solemnized.

Divorce records

  • Divorce case files: Court records maintained by the district court clerk in the county where the divorce was filed.
  • Divorce decrees (final judgments): The final order dissolving the marriage, included in the court file and typically available as a certified copy from the clerk.

Annulment records

  • Annulment case files and decrees: Civil court records handled similarly to divorce matters and maintained by the district court clerk where the action was filed.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

Garfield County offices of record

  • Marriage licenses/returns: Filed and maintained by the Garfield County Clerk of District Court (county-level marriage licensing authority in Montana).
  • Divorce and annulment records: Filed and maintained by the Clerk of District Court as part of the county’s district court case records.

Access methods (typical)

  • In-person or written requests to the Clerk of District Court: Used for certified and non-certified copies of marriage records (license/return) and court documents (decrees, judgments, case file documents), subject to identification and fee requirements set by the office and state law.
  • Statewide vital records (marriage and divorce verification): Montana’s state vital records office maintains statewide vital record services; availability may include certified copies or verifications as permitted by law.
    Link: Montana DPHHS – Vital Statistics
  • Statewide court case access (indexes/dockets where available): Montana’s judiciary provides online access to certain court case information, subject to rules and redaction practices.
    Link: Montana Judicial Branch

Typical information included in these records

Marriage licenses/returns

  • Full legal names of both parties
  • Date and place of marriage (county and venue/location as recorded)
  • Date the license was issued and filing/return date
  • Officiant name and authority, and officiant signature (on the return)
  • Parties’ ages or dates of birth as recorded on the application/license
  • Residences at the time of application (often included)
  • Witness information (when recorded by the form used)

Divorce decrees and case files

  • Names of the parties and case number
  • Date of filing and date of decree/judgment
  • Findings/orders on dissolution of marriage
  • Terms related to property division, debt allocation, maintenance/spousal support
  • Parenting plan provisions (custody/decision-making), child support, and related orders (when applicable)
  • Restoration of former name (when ordered)
  • Other orders in the case docket (temporary orders, final orders, modifications)

Annulment decrees and case files

  • Names of the parties and case number
  • Legal basis for annulment and the court’s findings
  • Date of decree
  • Associated orders (property, support, parenting issues), when applicable

Privacy or legal restrictions

  • Marriage records: Marriage license/return records filed with the clerk are generally treated as public records, with access governed by Montana public records law and local office procedures. Some personally identifying information may be redacted from copies provided to the public.
  • Divorce and annulment court records: Court filings and decrees are generally public, but records can be sealed by court order in limited circumstances. Courts also apply privacy protections to certain sensitive information.
  • Protected information and redaction: Montana courts and record custodians commonly restrict public display of specific personal identifiers (such as Social Security numbers and certain financial account identifiers). Information involving minors and sensitive family-law details may be subject to additional protections, and some documents or exhibits may be restricted or sealed.
  • Certified copies: Certified copies are issued by the record custodian (typically the Clerk of District Court for county marriage records and district court decrees), and issuance may be subject to statutory requirements, office policy, and payment of fees.

Education, Employment and Housing

Garfield County is a sparsely populated, predominantly rural county in eastern Montana on the high plains, with a small county seat (Jordan) and long distances between towns and services. The population is relatively older than statewide averages, and community life is strongly tied to agriculture/ranching, local government and schools, and a limited set of retail and service employers. (Baseline demographics and many of the measures below are sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s data.census.gov and the American Community Survey.)

Education Indicators

Public schools (counts and names)

Garfield County’s K–12 public education is organized primarily through the Jordan school district serving the county seat and surrounding ranching communities. Public school counts and official school names are most consistently verified through Montana’s education agency and district directories; where school-level listings change across years, the most stable approach is to use Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) directories and report cards:

  • School/district references: Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) and the OPI School Directory (school names and operational status).
  • In practice, Garfield County typically has a small number of public school sites clustered in/near Jordan (elementary and secondary grades often consolidated on one campus in very small districts).
    Data note: A definitive “number of public schools and school names” requires pulling the current OPI directory listing for the district; public datasets like ACS do not enumerate schools.

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

  • Student–teacher ratios: In very small rural districts, ratios fluctuate year to year due to small cohort sizes and staffing changes. The most reliable district-level ratios are reported in state report cards and OPI reporting rather than ACS.
    Source: Montana OPI (district/school report card pages).
  • Graduation rates: Montana reports cohort graduation rates at the district and school level through its accountability/report card system. For a county with very small graduating classes, graduation rates can vary sharply year to year, and multi-year averages are often more informative than a single-year point estimate.
    Source: Montana OPI (graduation outcomes in report cards).

Proxy note: Countywide education attainment and enrollment characteristics are available from ACS, but student–teacher ratios and graduation rates are typically reported at the district/school level by OPI.

Adult education levels

Adult educational attainment is best represented by ACS (population 25+). Garfield County’s attainment profile generally reflects rural-eastern Montana patterns: high shares with high school or some college, and comparatively smaller shares with a bachelor’s degree or higher than statewide metro counties.

Data note: The most recent ACS 5‑year estimates provide the most stable percentages for very small counties and are typically preferred over 1‑year estimates (which are often unavailable or suppressed for small populations).

Notable programs (STEM, CTE/vocational, AP)

In very small rural districts, “notable programs” tend to be delivered through:

  • Career and Technical Education (CTE): Common offerings include agriculture, mechanics/industrial arts, business/technology, and applied skills aligned to regional labor needs. Montana CTE frameworks and district participation are documented through OPI.
    Source: Montana OPI CTE.
  • Dual credit and distance learning: Rural districts frequently use distance-learning platforms, shared instructors, or cooperative agreements to expand course access.
    Source reference for statewide supports: OPI Teaching & Learning.
  • Advanced Placement (AP): AP availability in very small schools is often limited and may vary by year; some students use online coursework or dual enrollment rather than in-house AP sections.

Data note: Program inventories are not consistently available in a single county-level dataset; OPI district/school profiles and course catalogs provide the most defensible confirmation.

School safety measures and counseling resources

Montana school safety and student support is typically addressed through district policies (visitor controls, emergency operations plans, drills, and coordination with local law enforcement) and student services staffing (counseling or counselor access, often shared across roles in small districts).

Data note: Specific on-campus measures (e.g., SRO presence, secure vestibules, mental health clinician staffing) are district-specific and best verified via district policy documents and OPI reporting.

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent available)

  • The most consistently updated official unemployment rates are produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), typically available monthly and annually at the county level.
    Source: BLS LAUS.
    Data note: For Garfield County, annual averages are generally more stable than single-month readings due to small labor force size.

Major industries and employment sectors

Garfield County’s economy is typically anchored by:

  • Agriculture and ranching (cattle operations and associated services)
  • Local government and public services (county administration, public safety, schools)
  • Retail trade and basic services (small number of establishments concentrated in Jordan)
  • Construction and transportation (often tied to ranching needs, public works, and regional contracting)

Industry composition for residents (where people work) is available via ACS “Industry by Occupation” tables:

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

In small rural counties, resident employment commonly skews toward:

  • Management, business, and financial (small base; includes ranch operators and local administration)
  • Service occupations (health aides, food service, protective services)
  • Sales and office (generalist roles in local retail and county services)
  • Construction/extraction and maintenance
  • Transportation and material moving
  • Farming, fishing, and forestry (higher share than statewide averages)

Occupational shares for residents are available from ACS:

Commuting patterns and mean commute times

Commuting in Garfield County is shaped by long distances and limited in-county job variety:

  • A substantial share of workers commute by personal vehicle, with minimal transit availability.
  • Mean commute times in rural eastern Montana counties are often moderate-to-long because jobs and services are concentrated in a few nodes, and some residents travel to neighboring counties for work.
  • Source for mean travel time to work and commuting modes: ACS Commuting (Journey to Work).

Local employment versus out-of-county work

Out-of-county commuting can be material in very rural counties due to limited employer base. The most direct measure of inflow/outflow commuting and “local employment vs. out-of-county work” is provided by the Census Bureau’s LEHD Origin–Destination Employment Statistics (LODES):

  • Source: LEHD/LODES (residence-area vs. workplace-area employment and commuting flows).
    Data note: LEHD provides stronger evidence for cross-county commuting than ACS alone, particularly in small counties.

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership rate and rental share

Garfield County’s housing tenure typically reflects rural patterns with a high homeownership share and a small rental market concentrated near the county seat.

Median property values and recent trends

  • Median home value: ACS provides median value for owner-occupied housing units; small-county estimates can have wide margins of error.
    Source: ACS Selected Housing Characteristics.
  • Trend context (proxy): Rural eastern Montana markets often show slower price growth than Montana’s high-growth metros, with value changes influenced by interest rates, limited sales volume, and ranch-land dynamics (which can differ from in-town housing).
    Data note: For transaction-based trends, county assessor records and state/local market reports are needed; ACS is a stock measure (estimated value), not a sales-price index.

Typical rent prices

Rental prices in Garfield County are best represented by ACS median gross rent; the rental sample is small, so estimates can be volatile.

Types of housing

Housing stock is typically characterized by:

  • Single-family detached homes (dominant in town and rural settings)
  • Manufactured homes (common in rural areas)
  • Very limited multifamily/apartment inventory (mostly in/near Jordan)
  • Rural lots and ranch housing spread across large tracts, often with outbuildings and agricultural infrastructure

Stock composition is available via ACS “Units in Structure”:

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools or amenities)

  • Amenities (school campus, county offices, clinics/basic services, fuel, groceries, library/community facilities) are primarily concentrated in Jordan, so housing in/near the county seat tends to have the closest access to schools and essential services.
  • Outside Jordan, residences are typically rural, with longer travel times to schools and services and limited broadband/utility coverage in some areas (coverage varies by location).

Proxy note: Fine-grained neighborhood walkability/amenity indices are not robust for extremely low-density areas; proximity is best described in terms of distance to Jordan and major highways.

Property tax overview (average rate and typical homeowner cost)

  • Montana property taxes are administered locally and vary by taxing jurisdiction; rates depend on assessed value, levies, and classifications. The most comparable county-level measure is ACS median real estate taxes paid (for owner-occupied housing units with a mortgage and without a mortgage, where available).
  • For statutory context and how taxes are calculated in Montana (classification, appraisal cycles, and local levies), reference: Montana Department of Revenue.

Data note: “Average rate” (effective tax rate as a percent of value) is not directly published as a single official county metric in ACS; it is typically derived by combining local levy information with assessed values, or by comparing median taxes paid to median home value (a proxy that can be biased in small samples).

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Other Counties in Montana