Helping rural populations adapt will be a challenge. People in rural places need help where they live, inside their homes, said Adriane Beck, director of Missoula County’s Office of Emergency ...

People in rural places need help where they live, inside their homes, said Adriane Beck, director of Missoula County’s Office of Emergency Management.

That could be one reason so many 911 calls are coming from rural residents in Missoula County: Barsky said people living in Montana’s countryside and its small towns tend to be older and more ...

People in rural places need help where they live, inside their homes, said Adriane Beck, director of Missoula County’s Office of Emergency Management.

The average rural county has only 5.9 bank branches, the study found, compared to 55.1 in non-rural areas. Many counties are classified as “banking deserts” that lack branches within 10 miles.

Most of the occupied housing units are owner-occupied (69%) and the balance are renters (31%). The median housing value is just $128,000 and the median rent is $633.