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1 / 20#20. Teton County and Cascade County
- Teton County population: 6,430
- Cascade County population: 84,900
- Social connectedness index: 3,310,317
Most socially connected counties in Montana
In today's digital age, social media platforms enable people to bridge geographic distances and connect with their friends, family, and community, no matter where they are. According to a 2022 Gallup and Meta study, at least 1 in 3 people across seven countries, including the U.S., said they used social media to interact with others at least once a day in the past week.
While social media has its drawbacks—such as pulling attention away from other tasks or fostering a problematic comparison culture—it remains a vital tool for helping people stay connected.
A majority of students in grades 3 to 12 said social media helped them develop relationships, learn social skills, and make a positive impact in their community, according to a 2024 report from The Social Institute.
Spokeo compiled a ranking of the most socially connected counties in Montana using 2021 data from Facebook, based on a national analysis. County pairs were ranked by their social connectedness index, which measures the relative probability that two individuals across two locations are friends with each other on Facebook. The social connectedness index is a scaled value up to a billion. Larger indexes indicate a greater share of Facebook friends between county pairs.
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2 / 20#19. Jefferson County and Lewis and Clark County
- Jefferson County population: 13,048
- Lewis and Clark County population: 75,011
- Social connectedness index: 4,004,438
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3 / 20#18. Madison County and Beaverhead County
- Madison County population: 9,521
- Beaverhead County population: 9,885
- Social connectedness index: 4,686,149
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4 / 20#17. Sweet Grass County and Stillwater County
- Sweet Grass County population: 3,763
- Stillwater County population: 9,173
- Social connectedness index: 5,964,107
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5 / 20#16. Deer Lodge County and Silver Bow County
- Deer Lodge County population: 9,673
- Silver Bow County population: 36,360
- Social connectedness index: 6,157,313
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6 / 20#15. Meagher County and Broadwater County
- Meagher County population: 2,071
- Broadwater County population: 8,032
- Social connectedness index: 7,166,921
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7 / 20#14. Powell County and Granite County
- Powell County population: 7,133
- Granite County population: 3,595
- Social connectedness index: 8,954,502
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8 / 20#13. Roosevelt County and Valley County
- Roosevelt County population: 10,319
- Valley County population: 7,474
- Social connectedness index: 9,411,961
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9 / 20#12. Toole County and Liberty County
- Toole County population: 5,133
- Liberty County population: 1,974
- Social connectedness index: 12,367,346
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10 / 20#11. Hill County and Chouteau County
- Hill County population: 16,276
- Chouteau County population: 5,847
- Social connectedness index: 13,038,922
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11 / 20#10. Prairie County and Custer County
- Prairie County population: 1,112
- Custer County population: 11,985
- Social connectedness index: 13,869,248
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12 / 20#9. Pondera County and Glacier County
- Pondera County population: 6,125
- Glacier County population: 13,609
- Social connectedness index: 14,956,471
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13 / 20#8. Rosebud County and Treasure County
- Rosebud County population: 8,160
- Treasure County population: 772
- Social connectedness index: 17,896,212
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14 / 20#7. McCone County and Dawson County
- McCone County population: 1,676
- Dawson County population: 8,810
- Social connectedness index: 19,500,370
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15 / 20#6. Blaine County and Phillips County
- Blaine County population: 6,899
- Phillips County population: 4,249
- Social connectedness index: 19,950,772
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16 / 20#5. Judith Basin County and Fergus County
- Judith Basin County population: 2,093
- Fergus County population: 11,772
- Social connectedness index: 22,047,202
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17 / 20#4. Daniels County and Sheridan County
- Daniels County population: 1,633
- Sheridan County population: 3,498
- Social connectedness index: 27,393,943
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18 / 20#3. Golden Valley County and Wheatland County
- Golden Valley County population: 835
- Wheatland County population: 2,057
- Social connectedness index: 29,726,475
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19 / 20#2. Carter County and Powder River County
- Carter County population: 1,418
- Powder River County population: 1,743
- Social connectedness index: 84,443,921
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20 / 20#1. Garfield County and Petroleum County
- Garfield County population: 1,211
- Petroleum County population: 554
- Social connectedness index: 114,195,171
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.
