# Daniels County, Montana

Daniels County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,661. Its county seat is Scobey. It is on Montana's north border, and thus abuts the Canada–US border with Saskatchewan.

## History

Daniels County was created in 1920 from portions of Sheridan and Valley Counties. The name comes from Mansfield Daniels, a local rancher.

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,426 square miles (3,690 km$^2$), of which 1,426 square miles (3,690 km$^2$) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km$^2$) (0.03%) is water.
Daniels County is predominantly rolling plains. The Poplar River flows through the county.

### Major highways

* Montana Highway 5
* Montana Highway 13

### Adjacent counties and rural municipalities

* Rural Municipality (RM) of Old Post No. 43, Saskatchewan (SK) - northwest
* RM of Poplar Valley No. 12, SK - north
* RM of Hart Butte No. 11, SK - north
* RM of Happy Valley No. 10, SK - northeast
* Sheridan County - east
* Roosevelt County - south
* Valley County - west

## Politics

United States presidential election results for Daniels County, Montana :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 778 | 81.81% | 154 | 16.19% | 19 | 2.00% |
| 2020 | 799 | 78.80% | 195 | 19.23% | 20 | 1.97% |
| 2016 | 730 | 75.88% | 168 | 17.46% | 64 | 6.65% |
| 2012 | 740 | 73.49% | 237 | 23.54% | 30 | 2.98% |
| 2008 | 694 | 64.68% | 343 | 31.97% | 36 | 3.36% |
| 2004 | 764 | 68.28% | 326 | 29.13% | 29 | 2.59% |
| 2000 | 750 | 67.57% | 303 | 27.30% | 57 | 5.14% |
| 1996 | 558 | 42.53% | 510 | 38.87% | 244 | 18.60% |
| 1992 | 496 | 36.39% | 457 | 33.53% | 410 | 30.08% |
| 1988 | 802 | 57.49% | 571 | 40.93% | 22 | 1.58% |
| 1984 | 984 | 66.62% | 473 | 32.02% | 20 | 1.35% |
| 1980 | 1,086 | 65.19% | 483 | 28.99% | 97 | 5.82% |
| 1976 | 816 | 49.79% | 797 | 48.63% | 26 | 1.59% |
| 1972 | 973 | 61.82% | 570 | 36.21% | 31 | 1.97% |
| 1968 | 826 | 52.15% | 688 | 43.43% | 70 | 4.42% |
| 1964 | 742 | 42.89% | 987 | 57.05% | 1 | 0.06% |
| 1960 | 763 | 44.26% | 960 | 55.68% | 1 | 0.06% |
| 1956 | 982 | 50.93% | 946 | 49.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 1,092 | 62.47% | 649 | 37.13% | 7 | 0.40% |
| 1948 | 624 | 40.97% | 826 | 54.24% | 73 | 4.79% |
| 1944 | 680 | 44.85% | 824 | 54.35% | 12 | 0.79% |
| 1940 | 807 | 42.01% | 1,086 | 56.53% | 28 | 1.46% |
| 1936 | 467 | 22.08% | 1,596 | 75.46% | 52 | 2.46% |
| 1932 | 482 | 25.56% | 1,172 | 62.14% | 232 | 12.30% |
| 1928 | 936 | 53.92% | 780 | 44.93% | 20 | 1.15% |
| 1924 | 505 | 35.19% | 185 | 12.89% | 745 | 51.92% |
| 1920 | 811 | 60.12% | 289 | 21.42% | 249 | 18.46% |

## Demographics
### 2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 1,661 people living in the county.

### 2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,751 people, 798 households, and 481 families living in the county. The population density was 1.2 inhabitants per square mile (0.46/km$^2$). There were 1,111 housing units at an average density of 0.8 units per square mile (0.31 units/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 95.7% white, 2.1% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 39.4% were Norwegian, 31.8% were German, 9.0% were English, 8.3% were Irish, and 1.2% were American.
Of the 798 households, 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 4.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.7% were non-families, and 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age was 50.4 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,125 and the median income for a family was $49,479. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $25,921 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,737. About 9.8% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

## Economy

The main source of income for Daniels County has been cattle and dryland wheat.

## Education

There is one K-12 school serving all of Daniels County, Scobey High School.

## Communities
### City

* Scobey (county seat)

### Town

* Flaxville

### Census-designated places

* Peerless
* Whitetail

### Unincorporated communities

* Carbert
* Four Buttes
* Navajo
* Pleasant Prairie
* West Fork