Sidney is a city in Richland County of the U.S. state of Montana, less than 15.5 km (10 mi) away from the eastern border of the state. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,774. It is the county seat of Richland CountyGR6. The city lies next to the Yellowstone River and is in proximity to the badlands of the Dakotas.
Sidney relies heavily on farming, ranching, and oil production for economic stability. The surrounding countryside is populated with many farms and cattle ranches, plus oil exploration activity. The area's main cash crop are sugar beets, and Sidney is home to a sugar beet factory, built in 1925. The factory is the largest employer in the city, next to the Sidney Health Center and Sidney Public Schools. The town is served by Sidney-Richland Municipal Airport, one mile west of the central business district.
The city has a community newspaper, The Sidney Herald.
Sidney has four public schools; one K-5 elementary school, a 6-8 junior high school, and a 9-12 senior high school. There are no institutions of higher education located within the city, however, Dawson Community College has a Sidney campus, and Williston State College is within commuting distance. MSU-Billings offers courses through telecommunication, and Sidney High School has a variety of adult education classes each year.
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 4,774 people, 2,006 households, and 1,271 families residing in the city. The population density was 819.2/km² (2,125.3/mi²). There were 2,393 housing units at an average density of 410.6/km² (1,065.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.81% White, 0.10% African American, 1.89% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 1.01% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.43% of the population.
There were 2,006 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,109, and the median income for a family was $38,992. Males had a median income of $30,347 versus $18,517 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,911. About 8.5% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.