Montana 81st State House District, Montana: Bellwether district. In 2024, voted R+6%. Democratic peak: D+56 in 1896.
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+6MIT Election Lab
- Political archetype
- BellwetherAkashic typology
- Population
- 6242024 5-year
- Median household income
- $78,2372024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 90.7%2024 5-year
- Black
- 0.6%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 4.0%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+56 in 1896MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+30 in 1956MIT Election Lab
Constituent county margins for State House District 81, MTOne cell per constituent county, colored by 2024 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), ordered bluest first.
R+60D+60
One cell per constituent county. Ordered by 2024 D-vs-R margin (bluest first). Hover for county-level numbers.
38 presidential elections
| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 162 | 182 | 357 | ||
| R | 168 | 182 | 359 | ||
| R | 123 | 143 | 300 | ||
| R | 133 | 143 | 283 | ||
| D | 145 | 127 | 279 | ||
| R | 108 | 140 | 253 | ||
| R | 85 | 128 | 231 | ||
| R | 98 | 99 | 225 | ||
| D | 94 | 79 | 222 | ||
| D | 101 | 93 | 198 | ||
| R | 74 | 115 | 192 | ||
| R | 58 | 103 | 180 | ||
| R | 69 | 86 | 157 | ||
| R | 52 | 91 | 147 | ||
| R | 46 | 68 | 120 | ||
| D | 64 | 52 | 116 | ||
| R | 51 | 62 | 113 | ||
| R | 37 | 68 | 105 | ||
| R | 39 | 65 | 104 | ||
| R | 40 | 44 | 86 | ||
| D | 40 | 38 | 79 | ||
| D | 49 | 40 | 91 | ||
| D | 48 | 25 | 74 | ||
| D | 40 | 31 | 73 | ||
| R | 28 | 38 | 66 | ||
| R | 16 | 29 | 58 | ||
| R | 20 | 37 | 59 | ||
| D | 37 | 29 | 68 | ||
| O | 13 | 9 | 37 | ||
| D | 18 | 17 | 38 | ||
| R | 13 | 21 | 39 | ||
| D | 23 | 17 | 41 | ||
| D | 33 | 9 | 43 | ||
| D | 18 | 17 | 45 | ||
| — | — | — | — | ||
| — | — | — | — | ||
| — | — | — | — | ||
| — | — | — | — |
Demographics
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.
German
23.5%
Irish
15.9%
English
15.4%
American
5.9%
Italian
3.6%
French
3.1%
Scottish
3.0%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity that overlaps the race categories, so these shares can total more than 100%. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.
Age distribution by sex
Median age: 41.8 in this county, 39.1 nationally
Male
Age
Female
85+
75–84
65–74
55–64
45–54
35–44
25–34
18–24
5–17
<5
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Median household income
2024 inflation-adjusted dollars
$78,237
State House District 81 ranks near the middle of US counties.
State House District 81$78,237
Montana$72,509
United States$80,734
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Poverty rate
All persons below federal poverty line
8.1%
Child poverty is below the national average.
Children under 185.7%
Working age (18–64)8.6%
Seniors (65+)10.0%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
97.2%
speak English only
Other Indo-European1.2%
Spanish0.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander0.6%
Other languages0.1%
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 65.2% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.
With a 2024 presidential margin exceeding 40 points, District 81 ranks among the state's most one-sided constituencies, reflecting the sparsely populated rural and agricultural character common to eastern Montana legislative districts.
The Democratic margin in Montana 81st State House District has rarely exceeded fifty-six points in modern history; the Republican margin has rarely exceeded thirty points. 2024 delivered the district to the Republican candidate by six points.
Its demographics resemble the country more than they resemble most districts. A 91% non-Hispanic-white share, a 8% poverty rate, and a median household income of $78,237 — all within the broad national range.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
State House District 81, Montana. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-lower/30081/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0
Frequently asked questions
How did State House District 81, Montana vote in 2024?
In 2024, State House District 81, Montana voted Republican by 5.6 points (R+6), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 357 votes cast, 162 went Democratic and 182 went Republican.
What is State House District 81, Montana's political archetype?
Akashic classifies State House District 81, Montana as a "Bellwether" district based on its long-arc presidential voting pattern. Across 38 elections in the dataset, the district has voted Democratic 13 times, Republican 20 times, and other 1 times.
When did State House District 81, Montana last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which State House District 81, Montana voted Democratic was 2008.
How many people live in State House District 81, Montana?
State House District 81, Montana has a population of 624 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in State House District 81, Montana?
Median household income in State House District 81, Montana is $78,237 — below the national median of $80,734. The Montana state median is $72,509.
What is the political history of State House District 81, Montana?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in State House District 81, Montana from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 13 went Democratic and 20 went Republican. The district's archetype — "Bellwether" — captures the overall trajectory of that voting record.