Richland County, MT
Get paid to care for your family member in Richland County, Montana
About 2,090 people in Richland County are 65 or older — 19% of everyone who lives here. Richland County skews younger than Montana overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 232 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. In a rural county, an agency aide may be a long drive away — when one is available at all. That is exactly why the state lets you be the paid caregiver instead.
Who needs care in Richland
- People 65 and older
- 2,090
- People 85 and older
- 232
- Median age
- 39.4
- Rank in Montana
- 22nd
19% of Richland residents
the age daily help usually starts
close to the national average
of 56 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Richland County is a rural county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 7). Montana as a whole is 21% aged 65 or older.
What Montana pays family caregivers
Rates vary — check with the program.
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Montana Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Montana's programs at a glance
- Big Sky Waiver (self-directed)
- Community First Choice & PCS
- Spouse paid?
- Sometimes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Montana guide →
Towns and cities in Richland County
Montana sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Sidney and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Richland County:
- Sidney6,031
- Fairview854
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Richland apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Richland County start with Montana's program:
Apply for Montana Medicaid at apply.mt.gov or a local Office of Public Assistance (helpline 888-706-1535); Mountain Pacific Quality Health does the functional assessment (800-219-7035).
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Montana program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Richland questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Richland County?
Yes. Montana runs real Medicaid programs — like Big Sky Waiver (self-directed) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Richland County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Richland County?
Montana doesn't publish one flat rate. The program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Richland County apply?
Families in Richland County start with the state, not the county. Apply for Montana Medicaid at apply.mt.gov or a local Office of Public Assistance (helpline 888-706-1535); Mountain Pacific Quality Health does the functional assessment (800-219-7035).
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Richland County?
Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Montana: limited — yes under Big Sky Waiver self-directed option; prohibited under CFCS/PCS (spouses and parents of minors excluded there)
How many people in Richland County might need this?
2,090 residents of Richland County are 65 or older and about 232 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Montana's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Richland do you cover?
All of Richland County — including Sidney and Fairview. Eligibility is set by Montana, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Montana's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
More Montana counties
The programs are the same statewide — pick your county:
Find out in 2 minutes
Answer 5 easy questions. See your programs and pay before you share any contact info.