Montana Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Montana, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Montana. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Montana. The estimated population of Montana is 1,077,978 people, with a median age of 40.

We can look at the total population in Montana over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
1,077,978
+1.53%
+4.67%
2020
1,061,705
+1.05%
-
2019
1,050,649
+0.86%
-
2018
1,041,732
+1.15%
-
2017
1,029,862
 - -

Population of Montana by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
85.1%
86.6%
 -1.73%
Black/African American
0.5%
0.4%
 +25.00%
Native
5.8%
6.2%
 -6.45%
Hispanic
4.1%
3.6%
 +13.89%
Asian
0.8%
0.7%
 +14.29%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
3.4%
2.4%
 +41.67%
Other
0.2%
0%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Montana by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 40 -0.25% 39.2 +0.51% 40.8 -0.73%
2020 40.1 +0.5% 39 +0.52% 41.1 +0.49%
2019 39.9 +0.25% 38.8 +0.26% 40.9 0%
2018 39.8 0% 38.7 -0.26% 40.9 +0.25%
2017 39.8 - 38.8 - 40.8 -

The median age of Montana gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 64,100 +0.89% 61,527 -1.39% 64,662 60,667
10 to 19 66,092 +5.84% 61,053 +5.35% 70,015 64,367
20 to 29 71,687 +2.81% 66,105 +3.3% 73,716 68,302
30 to 39 64,460 +8.39% 62,643 +7.26% 70,036 67,316
40 to 49 58,964 +7.05% 56,668 +5.39% 63,212 59,774
50 to 59 71,554 -6.26% 74,523 -9.79% 67,152 67,491
60 to 69 67,628 +8.97% 68,079 +11.43% 73,878 76,197
70+ 53,375 +16.95% 61,404 +10.68% 63,000 68,193

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Montana is $60,560.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Montana.

  • Under 25
    $32,413.00
  • 25 to 44
    $69,192.00
  • 45 to 64
    $71,064.00
  • 65 and over
    $47,015.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Montana, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Montana, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Montana is currently $82,237.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

5.61% of households in Montana are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Montana against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    18.44%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    22.94%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.10%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    13.07%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    14.86%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    5.98%
  • $200,000 or more
    5.61%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Montana is $34,423.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Montana by the total population of Montana.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Montana, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Montana to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    12.55%
  • Bachelor's degree
    36.40%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    11.47%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    37.62%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.96%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Montana that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Montana over the age of 16 is 872,599.

Of those people, a total of 63.30% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Montana is 60.40%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 54,332 46.90% 13.00%
20 to 24 years 71,805 79.50% 7.10%
25 to 29 years 70,213 84.00% 4.80%
30 to 34 years 67,878 84.50% 2.60%
35 to 44 years 132,841 84.20% 3.80%
45 to 54 years 121,522 82.90% 2.50%
55 to 59 years 72,740 75.30% 3.20%
60 to 64 years 78,814 58.50% 2.50%
65 to 74 years 125,468 26.80% 2.90%
75 years and over 76,986 8.20% 2.20%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Montana. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 773,993 63.30% 3.30%
Black or African American 4,695 69.80% 11.70%
American Indian and Alaska Native 44,868 55.70% 14.00%
Asian 7,919 66.40% 5.10%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 542 50.20% 22.70%
Other 7,883 72.90% 4.90%
Two or more races 32,699 68.60% 7.00%
Hispanic or Latino 30,297 71.60% 4.90%
Not Hispanic or Latino 759,006 63.20% 3.30%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Montana as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Montana is 526,641, with median earnings of $35,918.00.

Women in Montana earning approximately 70.90% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 526,641 $35,918.00
Male 279,338 $42,852.00
Female 247,303 $30,403.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 63,386 $54,155.00
Business and Financial 21,427 $54,026.00
Computer and Mathematical 10,700 $60,918.00
Architecture and Engineering 8,735 $68,825.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 7,362 $55,319.00
Community and Social Service 10,364 $40,767.00
Legal 5,243 $58,845.00
Educational and Library 29,777 $39,071.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 10,222 $29,102.00
Healthcare Practitioners 33,772 $59,539.00
Healthcare Support 17,386 $22,773.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 5,628 $34,156.00
Law Enforcement 5,004 $56,358.00
Food Preparation and Serving 34,646 $15,072.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 20,885 $19,168.00
Personal Care and Service 13,994 $16,378.00
Sales 51,570 $30,810.00
Office and Administrative Support 56,154 $30,621.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 8,529 $26,535.00
Construction and Extraction 36,227 $43,853.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 17,733 $45,493.00
Production 20,602 $35,416.00
Transportation and Material Moving 21,004 $41,585.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 38,786 $62,280.00 24,600 $44,865.00
Business and Financial 9,013 $65,821.00 12,414 $48,935.00
Computer and Mathematical 7,496 $64,616.00 3,204 $53,427.00
Architecture and Engineering 7,660 $71,059.00 1,075 $61,066.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 4,036 $61,298.00 3,326 $49,000.00
Community and Social Service 3,747 $43,715.00 6,617 $39,110.00
Legal 2,393 $88,002.00 2,850 $50,419.00
Educational and Library 8,006 $44,891.00 21,771 $36,319.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 5,117 $34,126.00 5,105 $26,719.00
Healthcare Practitioners 8,939 $84,430.00 24,833 $53,561.00
Healthcare Support 3,006 $23,700.00 14,380 $22,607.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 4,125 $37,229.00 1,503 $20,699.00
Law Enforcement 3,854 $59,806.00 1,150 $44,649.00
Food Preparation and Serving 14,588 $16,168.00 20,058 $14,238.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 12,138 $22,480.00 8,747 $15,228.00
Personal Care and Service 3,291 $19,870.00 10,703 $16,126.00
Sales 26,618 $40,740.00 24,952 $24,194.00
Office and Administrative Support 11,921 $34,349.00 44,233 $29,996.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 6,862 $28,152.00 1,667 $19,519.00
Construction and Extraction 34,733 $44,448.00 1,494 $33,110.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 16,670 $46,717.00 1,063 $37,837.00
Production 15,616 $40,621.00 4,986 $25,180.00
Transportation and Material Moving 18,190 $44,162.00 2,814 $22,938.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 436,481 households in Montana, with an average household size of 2.41 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 267,591 families in Montana with an average family size of 3.03 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 214,450 18,823 34,318 168,890
Average Household Size 3.03 3.35 3.47 1.29
Total Families 214,450 18,823 34,318 0
Average Household Size 3.01 2.94 3.2 0

Poverty

Of the 267,591 families in Montana, 7.50% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Montana:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 512,553 housing units in Montana.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 436,481 85.16%
Vacant 76,072 14.84%

24.18% of the total 512,553 housing units in Montana are rental units. This is approximately 123,914 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 301,421 are occupied by the owner - or 58.81% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Montana is $886.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Montana that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    11,146
  • Less than $500
    15,006
  • $500 to $999
    61,204
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    33,067
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    9,788
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    3,098
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    491
  • $3,000 or more
    1,260

Property Value

The median value of a property in Montana is $263,700.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Montana that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    20,356
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    20,758
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    24,639
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    36,640
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    74,824
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    79,639
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    35,677
  • $1,000,000 or more
    8,888

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Montana. The chart below shows the number of properties in Montana that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    68,538
  • 1940 to 1949
    23,206
  • 1950 to 1959
    45,960
  • 1960 to 1969
    41,745
  • 1970 to 1979
    86,349
  • 1980 to 1989
    57,036
  • 1990 to 1999
    70,227
  • 2000 to 2009
    73,012
  • 2010 to 2013
    45,239
  • 2014 or later
    1,241

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Montana that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    20,781
  • 1 vehicle available
    117,547
  • 2 vehicles available
    161,960
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    136,193

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Montana get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Montana that commute to work in a particular way.

18.6 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Montana.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    34,774
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    88,819
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    92,609
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    88,998
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    59,343
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    20,148
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    37,964
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    6,134
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    5,612
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    14,223
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    12,331
  • 90 or more minutes
    8,947

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Montana in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Counties in Montana

We have data for 56 counties in Montana. Click on a county below to see more information about the demographics of that county, with links to cities and towns within that county.

Zip Codes in Montana

If you want to find out more about the population and demographics of specific zip codes in Montana, click on the links below.