Montana

Custer

11,867
2020 population
1870
first census record
16
census records

About Custer

Custer, Montana, first appears in the United States federal census in 1870, when it recorded a population of 38. At the most recent census, in 2020, its population stood at 11,867.

Its recorded population peaked at 14,123 in 1910, and has since declined by roughly 16 percent.

On the ground today, 23 documented military engagements have been recorded within the county, among them Battle of Tongue River (1865 Powder River Expedition), Yellowstone Expedition Fight at Tongue River (1873), Stanley's Yellowstone Expedition — Tongue River Fight (August 11, 1873), and 18 places are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Population by decade

Census YearPopulationChart
202011,867
201011,699
200011,696
199011,697
198013,109
197012,174
196013,227
195012,661
194010,422
193011,242
192012,194
191014,123
19007,891
18905,308
18802,510
187038
Source

Population data from the United States decennial census, U.S. Census Bureau (public domain).

Battles & engagements in Custer

Military engagements that took place in Custer, Montana.

Battle of Tongue River (1865 Powder River Expedition)
1865
Yellowstone Expedition Fight at Tongue River (1873)
1873
Stanley's Yellowstone Expedition — Tongue River Fight (August 11, 1873)
1873
Battle of Cedar Creek (1876)
1876
Battle of Powder River (Reynolds 1876)
1876
Battle of Tongue River — Miles's Winter Operations 1876-77
1876
Tongue River Cantonment Skirmishes 1876–1877
1876
Tongue River Cantonment Skirmishes (1876)
1876
Miles's Tongue River Cantonment Operations 1876-1877
1876
Battle of Box Elder Creek 1876
1876
Battle of Tongue River (Miles 1876)
1876
Crook's March to Tongue River (1876)
1876
Miles's Tongue River Cantonment — Establishment 1876
1876
Battle of Pumpkin Creek
1877
Battle of Mizpah Creek 1877
1877
Tongue River Skirmish — Miles Pursuit January 1877
1877
Battle of Box Elder Creek
1877
Battle of Tongue River 1877
1877
Fort Keogh Establishment — Former Tongue River Cantonment 1877
1877
Miles City Area Fights 1877
1877
Little Wolf's Band Reaches Montana 1879
1879
Northern Cheyenne Exodus — Little Wolf's Party Reaches Montana 1879
1879
Miles City Cattle Town Violence, Custer County MT
1881

Historic places in Custer

National Register of Historic Places listings in Custer, Montana.

Holy Rosary Hospital
Miles City
Main Street Historic District
Miles City
Olive Hotel
Miles City
Carriage House Historic District
Miles City
Locate Creek Bridge
Miles City
Fort Keogh
Miles City
Miles, George M., House
Miles City
US Post Office-Miles City Main
Miles City
Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company
Miles City
East Main Street Residential Historic District
Miles City
Ursuline Convent of the Sacred Heart
Miles City
Northern Pacific Railway Depot
Miles City
Miles City Waterworks Building and Pumping Plant Park
Miles City
Snell, Walrond and Elizabeth, House
Miles City
Browse all Montanahistoric sites ›

Other counties in Montana

Explore census history and historic records for more Montana counties.

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Everything a full report reveals about Custer County, Montana

This page charts the census history of Custer County, Montana. A full Aubrey report for an address here pulls together everything the historical record holds about the ground, from the earliest settlement to the twentieth century:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Frequently asked about Custer

When does Custer first appear in the US census?
Custer, Montana first appears in the federal census in 1870, with a recorded population of 38.
What is the population of Custer?
At the most recent federal census (2020), Custer had a recorded population of 11,867.
When did Custer's population peak?
Custer's recorded population peaked at 14,123 in 1910.
Were any battles fought in Custer?
23 documented military engagements took place in Custer, including Battle of Tongue River (1865 Powder River Expedition), Yellowstone Expedition Fight at Tongue River (1873), Stanley's Yellowstone Expedition — Tongue River Fight (August 11, 1873).
How many historic places are in Custer?
18 sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Custer, Montana.
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