59442 ZIP Code — Fort Benton, MT

Chouteau County, Montana

ZIP code 59442 is located in Fort Benton, Montana, within Chouteau County. It covers approximately 790.29 square miles and serves a population of 1,846 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 406.

About ZIP code 59442

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $185,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $68,194. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 42% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 17 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 31% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 59442 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,846

population

790.29

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

59442 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 59442

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 59442. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Fort Benton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

59460 Loma (14.4 mi) 59420 Carter (17.7 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,846
Population density	2 / sq mi
State FIPS	30
County FIPS	015

Geography
Land area	790.29 sq mi
Water area	9.78 sq mi
Latitude	47.9105
Longitude	-110.7327
Timezone	Mountain (MT)
Area code	406

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.2%	49.6%	44.2%
$50k – $100k	36.0%	30.0%	32.0%
$100k – $200k	17.6%	17.2%	19.2%
Over $200k	2.2%	3.2%	4.7%

Demographics & statistics

1,846

Population

People per sq mi

37.2

Median age

$68,194

Median household income

$30,341

Per capita income

$185,900

Median home value

$613

Median monthly rent

78.6%

Home ownership

7.3%

Poverty rate

5.7%

Unemployment

766

Housing units

30.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

108

25–34

111

128

35–44

132

45–54

55–59

60–64

113

65–74

117

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	502	27.2%
18 and over	1,344	72.8%
65 and over	450	24.4%
Median age	37.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.7%

Two or more races 5.3%

Hispanic or Latino 1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Asian 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	1,728	92.7%
Two or more races	99	5.3%
Hispanic or Latino	18	1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	0.7%
Asian	6	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.2%	49.6%	44.2%
$50k – $100k	36.0%	30.0%	32.0%
$100k – $200k	17.6%	17.2%	19.2%
Over $200k	2.2%	3.2%	4.7%

Under $10k 1.6%

$10k–$15k 6.9%

$15k–$25k 10.3%

$25k–$35k 6.6%

$35k–$50k 14.4%

$50k–$75k 15.7%

$75k–$100k 19.4%

$100k–$150k 17.7%

$150k–$200k 4.0%

$200k+ 3.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.6%
$10k–$15k	6.9%
$15k–$25k	10.3%
$25k–$35k	6.6%
$35k–$50k	14.4%
$50k–$75k	15.7%
$75k–$100k	19.4%
$100k–$150k	17.7%
$150k–$200k	4.0%
$200k+	3.5%
Median income	$68,194

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.3%

$50k–$100k 8.8%

$100k–$150k 8.8%

$150k–$200k 35.3%

$200k–$300k 26.3%

$300k–$500k 9.1%

$500k–$1M 3.2%

$1M+ 1.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$185,900
Median rent / month	$613
Owner occupied	78.6%
Renter occupied	21.4%
Vacant	25.2%
Single-family detached	73.6%
Large apartment buildings	2.7%
Mobile homes	12.3%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.83

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.8%
2000–2009	5.2%
1990–1999	6.5%
1980–1989	9.3%
1970–1979	14.0%
1960–1969	7.3%
1950–1959	18.3%
1940–1949	5.3%
1939 or earlier	29.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.2%
1 bedroom	7.3%
2 bedrooms	25.4%
3 bedrooms	38.0%
4 bedrooms	16.6%
5+ bedrooms	7.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.2%
1 vehicle	21.7%
2 vehicles	49.0%
3 or more	27.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	65.7%
Electricity	13.9%
Propane / LP gas	13.6%
Fuel oil	1.6%
Wood	4.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	328	48.1%
Cohabiting couple	7	1.0%
Male householder, no spouse	189	27.7%
Female householder, no spouse	158	23.2%
Households with children under 18	203	29.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	296	43.4%
Average household size	2.64

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.6%	32.4%
Married	47.6%	45.3%
Separated	3.3%	0.8%
Widowed	9.6%	16.7%
Divorced	6.0%	4.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.5%

Some HS, no diploma 1.6%

HS graduate 38.9%

Some college, no degree 19.7%

Associate's degree 7.7%

Bachelor's degree 21.0%

Graduate / professional 9.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.9%
Bachelor's or higher	30.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	35	9.5%
Kindergarten	54	14.7%
Elementary school	180	49.0%
High school	93	25.3%
College / grad school	5	1.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.8%

Agriculture & mining 19.4%

Construction 8.8%

Public administration 7.8%

Professional & management 6.8%

Wholesale trade 5.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.2%

Retail trade 5.0%

Manufacturing 3.6%

Other services 3.4%

Finance & real estate 2.6%

Transportation & utilities 1.9%

Information 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	40.2%
Service	26.2%
Sales & office	14.2%
Natural resources & construction	10.3%
Production & transportation	9.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	71.8%
Government	18.0%
Self-employed	10.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.4%
Carpool	12.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	10.1%
Work from home	5.5%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	16.8

Poverty

All people 7.3%

Under 18 years 4.1%

18 and over 8.6%

Married-couple families 2.7%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.1%
Retirement income	31.5%
Supplemental Security	0.9%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	30.6%
High blood pressure	34.5%
High cholesterol	34.0%
Diabetes	10.5%
Heart disease	8.3%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	32.0%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	7.6%
Cancer	9.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.3%
Binge drinking	19.0%
No physical activity	22.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.5%
Depression	21.5%
Fair or poor health	13.4%
Poor mental health	11.7%
Poor physical health	11.2%
No health insurance	10.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.0%
Visited dentist	65.3%
Cholesterol screening	91.3%
Teeth loss	12.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	100	7.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.7%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	6.8%
65 and over	31.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.5%
Public insurance	46.4%
No insurance	6.8%
Uninsured under 19	1.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,699	92.0%
Spanish	6	0.4%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	6	0.4%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,834	99.3%
Born in same state	1,809	98.0%
Born in different state	1,073	58.1%
Foreign born	25	1.4%
Naturalized citizen	12	0.7%
Not a US citizen	6	50.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	362	19.6%
Italian	319	17.3%
French	309	16.7%
Polish	111	6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	24	1.3%
English	10	0.5%
German	4	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.9%
Internet access	85.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 59442

What city is ZIP code 59442 in?

ZIP code 59442 is primarily assigned to Fort Benton, Montana.

What county is ZIP code 59442 in?

ZIP code 59442 falls within Chouteau County, Montana.

Does ZIP code 59442 have a large retiree population?

42% of households in ZIP code 59442 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 59442?

The median home value in ZIP code 59442 is $185,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 59442?

ZIP code 59442 has an estimated population of 1,846 residents, with a density of 2 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 59442?

The median household income in ZIP code 59442 is $68,194, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 59442 in?

ZIP code 59442 observes the MST timezone.