Meagher County (pronounced Marr) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the U.S. state of

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Colu ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,927. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is White Sulphur Springs. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the 2010

center of population In demographics, the center of population (or population center) of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population. There are several ways of defining such a "center point", leading to different geogr ...

of Montana is located in Meagher County at

History

Meagher County was named for

Thomas Francis Meagher Thomas Francis Meagher (; 3 August 18231 July 1867) was an Irish nationalist and leader of the Young Irelanders in the Rebellion of 1848. After being convicted of sedition, he was first sentenced to death, but received transportation for life ...

, territorial governor of Montana. The first county seat was Diamond City, the main city of the Confederate Gulch mining district. This area is no longer part of Meagher County, but today lies in neighboring Broadwater County.

Geography

According to the

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.1%) is water.

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 12 * U.S. Highway 89

Adjacent counties

* Cascade County - north * Judith Basin County - northeast * Wheatland County - east * Sweet Grass County - southeast * Park County - south * Gallatin County - south * Broadwater County - west * Lewis and Clark County - northwest

National protected areas

Gallatin National Forest The Gallatin National Forest (now known as the Custer-Gallatin National Forest) is a United States National Forest located in South-West Montana. Most of the Custer-Gallatin goes along the state's southern border, with some of it a part of North- ...

(part) * Helena National Forest (part) *

Lewis and Clark National Forest Lewis and Clark National Forest is located in west central Montana, United States. Spanning , the forest is managed as two separate zones. The eastern sections, under the Jefferson Division, is a mixture of grass and shrublands dotted with "is ...

(part)

Politics

This county has a strong Republican lean. This was one of 12 counties in Montana that

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...

won in 1964. A Democrat has not won since

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As th ...

in 1940.

Demographics

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 1,932 people, 803 households, and 529 families in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberP ...

was <1/km² (1/sq mi). There were 1,363 housing units at an average density of <1/km² (1/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 97.20%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 1.04% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oce ...

, 0.57% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.98% from two or more races. 1.50% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties form ...

or Latino of any race. 28.8% were of German, 14.5% Norwegian, 13.3%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, 12.4% Irish and 7.8%

American ancestry American ancestry refers to people in the United States who self-identify their ancestral origin or descent as "American," rather than the more common officially recognized racial and ethnic groups that make up the bulk of the American peop ...

. There were 803 households, out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.80% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 6.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 31.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.00. The county population contained 25.00% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 22.70% from 25 to 44, 28.10% from 45 to 64, and 18.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 100.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $29,375, and the median income for a family was $33,879. Males had a median income of $22,083 versus $15,417 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $15,019. About 16.40% of families and 18.90% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 27.40% of those under age 18 and 13.00% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,891 people, 806 households, and 509 families in the county. The population density was . There were 1,432 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.9% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.1% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 38.6% were German, 14.3% were Norwegian, 13.6% were Irish, 11.0% were

, 5.9% were Scotch-Irish, and 3.2% were American. Of the 806 households, 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.8% were non-families, and 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.67. The median age was 50.1 years. The median income for a household in the county was $31,577 and the median income for a family was $40,057. Males had a median income of $30,556 versus $16,414 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,318. About 14.1% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the

, including 21.7% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

* White Sulphur Springs (county seat)

Census-designated places

* Martinsdale * Springdale Colony

Other unincorporated communities

* Castle Town * Checkerboard * Copperopolis * Fort Logan * Hamen *

Lennep Remscheid () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is, after Wuppertal and Solingen, the third-largest municipality in Bergisches Land, being located on the northern edge of the region, on the south side of the Ruhr area. Remschei ...

* Loweth * Minden * Moss Agate * Moyne * Ringling * Sixteen

Individual residences (identified on aerial map)

* Ford Place''Ford Place MT'' Google Maps (accessed January 3, 2019)
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References

{{Coord, 46.813, -111.210, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MT_source:UScensus1990 Montana counties on the Missouri River 1867 establishments in Montana Territory Populated places established in 1867