Pinesdale is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

Ravalli County Ravalli County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,174. Its county seat is Hamilton. Ravalli County is part of a north–south mountain valley bordered by the Sapphir ...

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 Columbi ...

, 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 and 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 death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

, who selected its secluded location for the privacy.

Geography

Pinesdale is located at (46.334272, -114.222895). 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 the ...

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

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

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

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 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 on ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

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

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

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 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, 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

was 567.0 people per square mile (218.7/km²). There were 149 housing units at an average density of 113.9 per square mile (43.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.71%

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

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 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 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 t ...

, 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. The AUB has had a temple in Mexico, since at least the 1990s, an endowment house in Utah since the early 1980s and several other locations of worship ...

. The community once included

Alex Joseph Alex Joseph (June 24,1936 – September 27, 1998) (born Alec Richard Joseph; also referred to as Ronald Ellison) was an American outspoken polygamist and founder of the Confederate Nations of Israel, a Mormon fundamentalist sect. As mayor of Big ...

, who later became the first

Libertarian Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...

mayor in the United States.

References

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