Belt is a town in Cascade 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 510 according to the 2020 census. It is part of the Great Falls, Montana metropolitan area. Elevation is 3,510 ft (1,070 m). Belt has won many state championships, their most recent one placing first in state football. Belt is a well-rounded school, with smart kids and athletic kids.

History

Belt was home to Montana's first coal mine. It supplied fuel to Fort Benton. The post office opened on February 2, 1885, with Eugene Clingan as postmaster.

Geography

Belt is located at (47.385935, -110.926587). 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.

U.S. Route 89 U.S. Route 89 (US 89) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The northern sectio ...

connects to Montana Secondary Highway 331 at the town. Belt Creek flows through town. The town was named for Belt Butte, a nearby mountain which has a dark layer resembling a belt.

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, Belt 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.

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 597 people, 261 households, and 159 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 295 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.5%

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 ...

, 1.7% Native American, 0.5%

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 ...

, 0.2% 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 2.2% 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 1.0% of the population. There were 261 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.1% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the town was 43.4 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.4% were from 25 to 44; 30.4% were from 45 to 64; and 18.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 666 people, 273 households, and 168 families living in the city. The

was 1,877.0 people per square mile (718.8/km²). There were 295 housing units at an average density of 874.7 per square mile (335.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.94%

, 1.42%

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 ...

, 1.42% Native American, 0.32%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.16% from

, and 1.74% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.11% of the population. There were 273 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,469, and the median income for a family was $30,104. Males had a median income of $21,477 versus $20,192 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 city was $14,970. About 10.2% of families and 12.9% 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 19.8% of those under age 18 and 16.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Belt Public Schools educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. They are known as the Huskies. Belt High School is a Class C school.

Notable people

* James R. Browning, judge on the

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * District ...

* Matt Maki, Finnish-born master carpenter and builder of the 1890s

References

External links

Community website

Belt Public Schools
{{Montana Regions and Towns with Breweries Towns in Cascade County, Montana Great Falls Metropolitan Area