59844 ZIP Code — Heron, MT

Sanders County, Montana

ZIP code 59844 is located in Heron, Montana, within Sanders County. It covers approximately 75.27 square miles and serves a population of 732 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Mountain (MT) timezone, served by area code 406.

About ZIP code 59844

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $387,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $49,338. Poverty affects 33% of residents, above the national average. 61% 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 28 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 28% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks. 17% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 15% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 59844 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

732

population

75.27

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Mountain (MT)

timezone

59844 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 59844

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 59844. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Heron	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

59853 Noxon (9.1 mi) 83811 Clark Fork (16.8 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	732
Population density	10 / sq mi
State FIPS	30
County FIPS	089

Geography
Land area	75.27 sq mi
Water area	1.98 sq mi
Latitude	48.0553
Longitude	-115.9144
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	67.3%	58.5%	44.2%
$50k – $100k	15.8%	29.6%	32.0%
$100k – $200k	15.8%	9.4%	19.2%
Over $200k	1.1%	2.6%	4.7%

Demographics & statistics

732

Population

People per sq mi

57.1

Median age

$49,338

Median household income

$23,732

Per capita income

$387,900

Median home value

$1,069

Median monthly rent

78.0%

Home ownership

33.2%

Poverty rate

2.7%

Unemployment

311

Housing units

27.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	166	22.7%
18 and over	566	77.3%
65 and over	253	34.6%
Median age	57.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.3%

Two or more races 3.5%

Hispanic or Latino 1.2%

Group	Count	%
White	706	95.3%
Two or more races	26	3.5%
Hispanic or Latino	9	1.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	67.3%	58.5%	44.2%
$50k – $100k	15.8%	29.6%	32.0%
$100k – $200k	15.8%	9.4%	19.2%
Over $200k	1.1%	2.6%	4.7%

Under $10k 3.9%

$10k–$15k 4.6%

$15k–$25k 7.7%

$25k–$35k 20.8%

$35k–$50k 14.7%

$50k–$75k 17.8%

$75k–$100k 13.9%

$100k–$150k 12.0%

$150k–$200k 2.7%

$200k+ 1.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.9%
$10k–$15k	4.6%
$15k–$25k	7.7%
$25k–$35k	20.8%
$35k–$50k	14.7%
$50k–$75k	17.8%
$75k–$100k	13.9%
$100k–$150k	12.0%
$150k–$200k	2.7%
$200k+	1.9%
Median income	$49,338

Housing

Home values

$50k–$100k 6.4%

$100k–$150k 7.9%

$150k–$200k 2.0%

$200k–$300k 19.3%

$300k–$500k 34.2%

$500k–$1M 25.2%

$1M+ 5.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$387,900
Median rent / month	$1,069
Owner occupied	78.0%
Renter occupied	22.0%
Vacant	29.6%
Single-family detached	90.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	9.0%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.45

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	5.4%
2000–2009	20.9%
1990–1999	18.2%
1980–1989	16.6%
1970–1979	23.4%
1960–1969	9.0%
1950–1959	2.2%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	3.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.9%
1 bedroom	7.6%
2 bedrooms	37.0%
3 bedrooms	28.0%
4 bedrooms	22.6%
5+ bedrooms	3.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.0%
1 vehicle	16.2%
2 vehicles	43.2%
3 or more	40.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	6.2%
Electricity	12.7%
Propane / LP gas	32.0%
Fuel oil	2.7%
Wood	39.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	191	73.7%
Cohabiting couple	3	1.2%
Male householder, no spouse	18	6.9%
Female householder, no spouse	47	18.1%
Households with children under 18	49	18.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	147	56.8%
Average household size	2.73

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	12.5%	23.2%
Married	75.1%	61.6%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	1.1%	4.6%
Divorced	11.4%	10.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.4%

Some HS, no diploma 11.8%

HS graduate 28.4%

Some college, no degree 26.2%

Associate's degree 4.7%

Bachelor's degree 24.2%

Graduate / professional 3.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	86.8%
Bachelor's or higher	27.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	60	37.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	66	40.7%
High school	36	22.2%
College / grad school	0	0.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 32.9%

Other services 26.3%

Construction 11.7%

Professional & management 9.4%

Transportation & utilities 7.0%

Retail trade 5.2%

Manufacturing 3.8%

Agriculture & mining 2.3%

Public administration 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.2%
Service	28.2%
Sales & office	10.3%
Natural resources & construction	9.9%
Production & transportation	15.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.4%
Government	12.2%
Self-employed	17.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	59.6%
Carpool	15.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	6.1%
Work from home	18.8%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.8

Poverty

All people 33.2%

Under 18 years 66.9%

18 and over 25.3%

Married-couple families 23.0%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	60.6%
Retirement income	35.1%
Supplemental Security	4.6%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	31.4%
High blood pressure	36.0%
High cholesterol	34.6%
Diabetes	12.4%
Heart disease	8.8%
Stroke	4.3%
Asthma	10.5%
Arthritis	32.0%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	9.9%
Cancer	7.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.6%
Binge drinking	18.7%
No physical activity	25.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.9%
Depression	22.5%
Fair or poor health	17.9%
Poor mental health	13.7%
Poor physical health	14.1%
No health insurance	13.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.1%
Visited dentist	54.3%
Cholesterol screening	88.7%
Teeth loss	17.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	85	15.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.8%
Under 18	2.9%
18–64 years	12.5%
65 and over	43.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	47.6%
Public insurance	58.5%
No insurance	17.4%
Uninsured under 19	6.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	669	91.4%
Spanish	4	0.6%
Other Indo-European	4	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	732	100.0%
Born in same state	732	100.0%
Born in different state	175	23.9%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	150	20.5%
Italian	104	14.2%
French	75	10.2%
Arab	25	3.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	16	2.2%
Norwegian	4	0.5%
German	3	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.4%
Internet access	96.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 59844

What city is ZIP code 59844 in?

ZIP code 59844 is primarily assigned to Heron, Montana.

What county is ZIP code 59844 in?

ZIP code 59844 falls within Sanders County, Montana.

Does ZIP code 59844 have a large retiree population?

61% of households in ZIP code 59844 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 59844 have an older population?

35% of residents in ZIP code 59844 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 59844?

33% of residents in ZIP code 59844 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 59844 have a large veteran population?

15% of civilians in ZIP code 59844 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 59844 in?

ZIP code 59844 observes the MST timezone.