Saco is a town in Phillips County,

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 159 at the 2020 census.

Geography

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.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Saco has a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

History

Faced with the task of naming hundreds of station stops along the High Line, Great Northern Railway officials resorted to "globe trotting." According to one story, an official spun a globe and put his finger on Saco, Maine, thus giving the town its name. Another story tells that the name is a contraction of " Sacajawea." For two years, Saco boasted the Guinness world record for making the world's largest hamburger, building the 6,040-pound burger from the beef of 17 cattle in 1999.

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 197 people, 102 households, and 47 families residing 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 127 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.4%

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 ...

, 1.0%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 4.6% 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 0.5% of the population. There were 102 households, of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% 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, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 53.9% were non-families. 47.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age in the town was 48.1 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 2.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.4% were from 25 to 44; 33% were from 45 to 64; and 21.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.3% male and 49.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 224 people, 109 households, and 57 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 135 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.43%

, 1.79% Native American, and 1.79% from two or more races. There were 109 households, out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were

living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.8% were non-families. 44.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.84. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $23,125, and the median income for a family was $26,667. Males had a median income of $23,125 versus $24,375 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 $16,421. About 14.3% of families and 14.0% 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 22.0% of those under the age of eighteen and 13.2% of those 65 or over.

Education

Saco School District educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Saco High School's team name is the Panthers. Phillips County Library has a branch location in Saco.

Notable people

* Wayne Stahl, Montana Legislature member

Images

File:Saco Mercantile (2013) - Phillips County, Montana.png, Saco Mercantile File:Saco Montana Panorama 1.jpg, Church and water tower in Saco File:Saco Montana Park.jpg, Park File:Chet Huntley School Saco Montana.jpg, Chet Huntley School in Saco File:Saco Montana Downtown and Water Tower.jpg, Water Tower overlooks downtown Saco File:Saco Montana Sign Looking East US2.jpg, The sign for Saco looking east at

U.S. Route 2 U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west United States Numbered Highways, U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern ...

References

External links

Saco, Montana website
{{Authority control Towns in Phillips County, Montana