Montana is a vast area of open space, situated in the northwest portion of the United States. It may be the fourth biggest state in the country in terms of sheer size, but its population statistics are a testament to the geography of Montana, most of which is not suitable for large development.
There are only two states in the US that are more sparsely populated than the aptly nicknamed Big Sky Country -- Alaska and Wyoming. In terms of pure population numbers, the state surpassed the 1 million mark according to estimates from the US Census Bureau for 2016. The state has reflected a moderate growth rate of 0.79%, which ranks 26th in the nation.
The US Census of 2010 confirmed that 989,415 people were living in Montana, an increase of 9.7% from the findings of 2000. The Montana population surpassed 1 million for the first time in 2012, and it now stands at 1.03 million.
With a sprawling land mass of 145,552.43 square miles, there are only three bigger states in the US. However, for every square mile of land, there is an average of just 6.86 people (2.65 per square kilometer) and that makes Montana the 48th most densely populated area in the country. Mountain ranges, lakes and national parks all contribute to that figure in a huge area of outstanding natural beauty.
There are few large urban areas in the state of Montana. The largest city is Billings, home to 110,263 people in 2016. Other sizable cities are Missoula (pop: 71,022) and Great Falls (pop: 59,638). Urban areas in Montana are actually growing quite rapidly, while more rural areas are gradually becoming less populated. This is a trend that is common among many states in the country. The most populated counties in Montana are Yellowstone (158,980) and Missoula (117,441) counties.
94.8% of Montana's population speaks English, although there are many other languages spoken in the state, including Blackfoot, Assiniboine, Cheyenne, Plains Cree, Crow, Dakota and Kutenai. This is because Montana has one of the highest Native American populations in the US, with about 66,000 people of Native American heritage. This is the result of many treaties and federal legislation, including one that recognizes the Little Shell Chippewa, a nation of "landless" people in Great Falls recognized by the state but not the federal government. About 63% of these people live off-reservation -- mostly in cities -- with Great Falls having the largest concentration of urban Indians.
The median age in Montana is approximately 39.8 years of age. The ratio of females to males is approximately 49.7% females to 50.3% males.
In terms of religious preferences across the state population is currently at 65% Christian based faiths, 5% non-Christian based faiths, and 30% non-affiliated with any religion.
The eastern and central parts of Montana were acquired as early as the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, but had no organized government until Nebraska Territory was established in 1854. The northwestern part of Montana was included in the newly established Oregon Territory in 1848. The whole of the present-day State was included in Idaho Territory in 1863, and was established as a separate territory in 1864 with essentially its present boundaries. Montana was admitted as a State on November 8, 1889.
In 1860 census coverage of present-day Montana was limited to two forts enumerated in Nebraska Territory and some settlers in the Bitter Root Valley enumerated in Washington Territory. In 1870 census coverage included all of the present State.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Montana was:
Data from the last US Census, taken in 2010, reported Montana's ancestry. By far the largest ancestral group in Montana is German, claimed by 29.3% of the population. Other major ancestral groups are Irish (16.4%), English (13.1%) and Norwegian (10.0%).
Montana is one of the most racially homogeneous states. It is ranked 49th in terms of its population of Asian Americans. The state is also ranked 50th in the nation in terms of the percentage of African Americans. However, the state does have a large number of Native American inhabitants. Despite being only the 45th most populous US state, its total Native American population ranks 19th. The population of Native Americans, at 6.5% of the state's total population, is the 6th highest percentage in the nation. Three counties in the state -- Roosevelt, Glacier, and Big Horn -- have a Native American majority population.
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40K
60K
80K
100K
120K
140K
160K
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 943,827 | 86.44% |
Native American | 63,493 | 5.82% |
Two or more races | 57,010 | 5.22% |
Other race | 11,592 | 1.06% |
Asian | 9,211 | 0.84% |
Black or African American | 6,026 | 0.55% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 681 | 0.06% |
White
Native American
Two or more races
Other race
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 443,917 | 2.39 | 69 | 31 |
Married | 216,250 | 3.02 | 84.2 | 15.8 |
Non Family | 173,490 | 1.3 | 53.7 | 46.3 |
Female | 34,767 | 3.45 | 56.1 | 43.9 |
Male | 19,410 | 3.31 | 60.1 | 39.9 |
3.01
Average Family Size
2.39
Average Household Size
69.0%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 29,440 | 3.88% |
Associates Degree | 72,238 | 9.53% |
Bachelors Degree | 170,549 | 22.49% |
Graduate Degree | 87,078 | 11.48% |
High School Graduate | 210,938 | 27.82% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 12,441 | 1.64% |
Some College | 175,516 | 23.15% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 664,434 | 632,451 | 234,243 |
Native American | 34,776 | 29,825 | 5,231 |
2+ Races | 30,739 | 28,721 | 9,174 |
Hispanic | 24,272 | 21,536 | 5,702 |
Other Race | 7,554 | 6,754 | 2,130 |
Asian | 6,899 | 6,332 | 3,659 |
Black | 3,145 | 2,705 | 879 |
Islander | 442 | 423 | 63 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 95.7%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 53.04%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $50,037 | $59,456 | $43,246 |
Graduate Degree | $67,703 | $80,016 | $59,486 |
High School Graduate | $34,557 | $42,524 | $26,495 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $28,127 | $33,666 | $19,096 |
Overall | $42,352 | $50,324 | $35,397 |
Some College | $38,789 | $47,199 | $32,285 |
$42,352
Average Earnings
$50,324
Average Male
$35,397
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
95.88% of Montana residents speak only English, while 4.12% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Other Indo-European, which is spoken by 1.41% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 903,927 | 95,721 | 10.59% |
Native | 60,070 | 21,061 | 35.06% |
Multiple | 55,988 | 8,396 | 15% |
Hispanic | 44,608 | 7,594 | 17.02% |
Other | 11,357 | 1,933 | 17.02% |
Asian | 9,022 | 1,164 | 12.9% |
Black | 5,496 | 939 | 17.09% |
Islander | 644 | 29 | 4.5% |
12.41%
Overall Poverty Rate
11.77%
Male Poverty Rate
13.07%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Montana is Native, with 35.06% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Montana is Islander, with 4.5% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.98%. Among those working part-time, it was 15.85%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 19.87%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 27.62% |
High School | 13.78% |
Some College | 9.79% |
Bachelors or Greater | 4.71% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Male Unemployed | 30.73% |
Female Unemployed | 29.73% |
Female Employed | 8.2% |
Male Employed | 5.96% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $84,027 | $109,442 |
Households | $66,341 | $90,142 |
Married Families | $95,586 | $121,780 |
Non Families | $39,863 | $56,510 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
50.8%
Overall Marriage Rate
50.8%
Male Marriage Rate
50.9%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
82,367
Number of Veterans
74,574
Male Veterans
7,793
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 31,165 |
Second Gulf War | 19,326 |
First Gulf War | 18,002 |
Korea | 4,194 |
World War II | 952 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
65 to 74 | 22,796 |
35 to 54 | 19,816 |
75+ | 18,860 |
55 to 64 | 13,632 |
18 to 34 | 7,263 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 75,515 | 9.98% |
2+ Races | 3,139 | 8.4% |
Native American | 2,400 | 5.75% |
Hispanic | 2,308 | 7.69% |
Other Race | 704 | 8.1% |
Black | 308 | 7.67% |
Asian | 284 | 3.65% |
Islander | 17 | 3.31% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
7.85%
Veteran Poverty Rate
30.7%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
63%
Labor Force Participation
60.2%
Employment Rate
3.9%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
53%
Born in Montana
97.74%
Native Born
2.26%
Foreign Born
1.02%
Non Citizen
1.25%
Naturalized
97.74% of Montana residents were born in the United States, with 53% having been born in Montana. 1.02% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Europe.