Pinesdale is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Ravalli County,

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, United States. The population was 805 at the 2020 census. The town was incorporated in 1980. It was settled in the early 1960s by fundamentalist

Mormons Mormons are a Religious denomination, religious and ethnocultural group, cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's d ...

, who selected its secluded location for the privacy.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 917 people, 178 households, and 163 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 194 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.5% Native American, 1.4% from other races, and 0.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 4.7% of the population. There were 178 households, of which 74.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 30.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 8.4% were non-families. 8.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 5.15 and the average family size was 5.44. The median age in the town was 16.1 years. 55.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.6% were from 25 to 44; 10.5% were from 45 to 64; and 4.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 742 people, 139 households, and 128 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 149 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.71%

, 0.13% Native American, and 2.16% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.96% of the population. There were 139 households, out of which 72.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were

living together, 34.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 7.9% were non-families. 7.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 5.34 and the average family size was 5.66. In the town, the population was spread out, with 59.7% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 15.2% from 25 to 44, 9.3% from 45 to 64, and 3.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 15 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $26,528, and the median income for a family was $27,361. Males had a median income of $23,333 versus $17,857 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $5,051. About 31.1% of families and 35.2% 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 40.8% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

The majority of the residents of Pinesdale are members of the

Apostolic United Brethren The Apostolic United Brethren (AUB) is a Mormon fundamentalist group that practices polygamy and is no longer associated in any way with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The AUB has had a temple in Mexico since the 1990s, an en ...

. The community once included Alex Joseph, who later became the first

Libertarian Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...

mayor in the United States.

References

{{Authority control Towns in Ravalli County, Montana Populated places established in 1983