Ryegate is a town in, and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of,

Golden Valley County Golden Valley County is the name of two counties in the United States: *Golden Valley County, Montana Golden Valley County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cens ...

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 223 at the 2020 census. Ryegate is situated on the north bank of the

Musselshell River The Musselshell River is a tributary of the Missouri River, long from its origins at the confluence of its North and South Forks near Martinsdale, Montana to its mouth on the Missouri River. It is located east of the Continental divide entirel ...

. The

Milwaukee Road The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States from 1847 ...

established Ryegate in 1908 as a depot and station stop.

Geography

U.S. Route 12 U.S. Route 12 or U.S. Highway 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90 ...

passes through town. 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.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Ryegate 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 se ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Ryegate, Montana
/ref>

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 245 people, 122 households, and 73 families residing 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 145 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.1%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% from other races, and 1.6% 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 4.1% of the population. There were 122 households, of which 13.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% 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, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.2% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.48. The median age in the town was 53.5 years. 11.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 13.4% were from 25 to 44; 39.6% were from 45 to 64; and 29% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 53.9% male and 46.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 268 people, 113 households, and 81 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 131 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.51%

and 1.49% Native American.

or Latino of any race were 1.49% of the population. There were 113 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were

living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% 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 2.84. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.0% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 27.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 109.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $34,167. Males had a median income of $19,688 versus $18,750 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 $12,016. About 20.0% of families and 20.2% 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 15.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 32.5% of those 65 or over.

Education

Ryegate Public School educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. They are known as the Blue Demons. Ryegate High School is a Class C school (less than 108 students) which helps determine athletic competitions.

References

External links

Ryegate at Golden Valley County, Montana Website
{{Authority control Towns in Golden Valley County, Montana County seats in Montana