Missoula is a city located in Missoula County Montana. Missoula has a 2024 population of 78,876. It is also the county seat of Missoula County. Missoula is currently growing at a rate of 1.44% annually and its population has increased by 6.02% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 74,398 in 2020.
The average household income in Missoula is $87,064 with a poverty rate of 14.58%. The median age in Missoula is 34 years: 33.4 years for males, and 34.5 years for females.
Over 95% of residents at least 25 years old have at least a high school education, while 45.7% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, exceeding both the state and national averages. The city’s largest employers include Missoula County Public Schools, the city’s hospital and the University of Montana.
Missoula started quite small, with a population of just 400 in 1870. This number decreased further in 1880. However, the community jumped by over 887% in 1890, bringing the population to over 3,400. Though the city never saw growth quite this substantial again, it has seen continuous growth throughout its history. In 1950, the city’s population exceeding 22,000. This number rose to over 57,000 in 2000. Recent estimates show that the population has risen 7.9% since the last census was taken in 2010.
Evidence shows that the area that is now Missoula was first inhabited about 12,000 years ago. In the 18th century, the city was primarily occupied by native tribes including the Shoshone, Blackfeet, and Salish.
The first citizens of the United States came to the area during the expedition of Lewis and Clark of the 19th century, where they camped nearby during their westbound trip and their return. In 1860, Hell Gate Village was established by Frank Worden and Christopher Higgins. It was originally located about five miles west of the current-day downtown area, but the need for a water supply led to relocation just four years later.
Missoula Mills was established in 1866 and was the county seat. Fort Missoula was created during the next decade to offer protection for settlers. The area continued to grow when the Northern Pacific Railway arrived, and during the same year, Missoula was designated as a town. Many sawmills were opened during this period because of the need for lumber to construct bridges and railways. This launched the city’s lumber industry, which was an essential part of the economy through the 20th century.
Logging was a primary industry throughout the mid-20th century with the opening of the Hoerner-Waldorf pulp mill, although the pulp mill severely impacted the air quality. However, the lumber industry was affected by a recession in the 1980s, which led to the city focusing on other sectors.
Today, education and health care are the primary drivers of the economy. The University of Montana is a higher education institution that has been expanded and renovated significantly in recent years. The city’s hospital, St. Patrick Hospital, and Health Sciences Center, was founded in 1873 and has since gone through several expansions.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Missoula was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 65,594 | 87.9% |
Two or more races | 4,734 | 6.34% |
Native American | 1,602 | 2.15% |
Asian | 1,214 | 1.63% |
Other race | 860 | 1.15% |
Black or African American | 534 | 0.72% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 89 | 0.12% |
White
Two or more races
Native American
Asian
Other race
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 32,944 | 2.18 | 46.9 | 53.1 |
Non Family | 17,488 | 1.45 | 30.4 | 69.6 |
Married | 11,408 | 2.97 | 73.6 | 26.4 |
Female | 2,819 | 3.23 | 41.1 | 58.9 |
Male | 1,229 | 2.69 | 47.4 | 52.6 |
2.89
Average Family Size
2.18
Average Household Size
46.9%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 1,064 | 2.16% |
Associates Degree | 4,052 | 8.23% |
Bachelors Degree | 15,418 | 31.32% |
Graduate Degree | 9,343 | 18.98% |
High School Graduate | 8,610 | 17.49% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 587 | 1.19% |
Some College | 10,156 | 20.63% |
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 | 43,232 | 41,904 | 22,167 |
2+ Races | 2,600 | 2,537 | 1,298 |
Hispanic | 1,824 | 1,725 | 733 |
Native American | 892 | 844 | 355 |
Asian | 889 | 771 | 452 |
Other Race | 555 | 555 | 108 |
Black | 293 | 278 | 116 |
Islander | 57 | 57 | 11 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 51.27%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $43,297 | $45,697 | $40,523 |
Graduate Degree | $68,458 | $76,667 | $62,279 |
High School Graduate | $32,693 | $36,555 | $29,189 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $18,485 | $0 | $19,476 |
Overall | $41,633 | $44,500 | $40,094 |
Some College | $35,704 | $35,950 | $35,460 |
$41,633
Average Earnings
$44,500
Average Male
$40,094
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
94.55% of Missoula residents speak only English, while 5.45% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Other Indo-European, which is spoken by 2.16% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 62,120 | 8,465 | 13.63% |
Multiple | 4,609 | 1,207 | 26.19% |
Native | 1,493 | 537 | 35.97% |
Hispanic | 3,201 | 417 | 13.03% |
Other | 854 | 116 | 13.58% |
Asian | 1,159 | 55 | 4.75% |
Black | 498 | 16 | 3.21% |
14.58%
Overall Poverty Rate
14.39%
Male Poverty Rate
14.76%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Missoula is Native, with 35.97% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Missoula is Black, with 3.21% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.6%. Among those working part-time, it was 23.03%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 24.42%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 41.41% |
Some College | 13.97% |
High School | 13.11% |
Bachelors or Greater | 5.56% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Male Unemployed | 59.89% |
Female Unemployed | 42.55% |
Female Employed | 11.33% |
Male Employed | 9.24% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $87,915 | $115,373 |
Households | $59,783 | $87,064 |
Married Families | $108,217 | $-999,999,999 |
Non Families | $41,509 | $59,160 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
37.1%
Overall Marriage Rate
39.2%
Male Marriage Rate
35.1%
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 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
4,347
Number of Veterans
3,903
Male Veterans
444
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Second Gulf War | 1,455 |
Vietnam | 1,175 |
First Gulf War | 932 |
Korea | 126 |
World War II | 92 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
35 to 54 | 1,206 |
75+ | 985 |
65 to 74 | 981 |
18 to 34 | 761 |
55 to 64 | 414 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 4,078 | 7.43% |
Hispanic | 165 | 6.61% |
Native American | 117 | 9.41% |
2+ Races | 112 | 3.09% |
Asian | 34 | 3% |
Other Race | 6 | 0.91% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
8.67%
Veteran Poverty Rate
28.01%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
73.2%
Labor Force Participation
69.8%
Employment Rate
4.6%
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
45.73%
Born in Missoula
96.33%
Native Born
3.67%
Foreign Born
1.78%
Non Citizen
1.89%
Naturalized
96.33% of Missoula residents were born in the United States, with 45.73% having been born in Montana. 1.78% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 84,475 | 1,120 | 1.34% |
2028 | 83,355 | 1,120 | 1.36% |
2027 | 82,235 | 1,119 | 1.38% |
2026 | 81,116 | 1,120 | 1.4% |
2025 | 79,996 | 1,120 | 1.42% |
2024 | 78,876 | 1,119 | 1.44% |
2023 | 77,757 | 829 | 1.08% |
2022 | 76,928 | 1,535 | 2.04% |
2021 | 75,393 | 995 | 1.34% |
2020 | 74,398 | -1,438 | -1.9% |
2019 | 75,836 | 727 | 0.97% |
2018 | 75,109 | 857 | 1.15% |
2017 | 74,252 | 1,295 | 1.78% |
2016 | 72,957 | 1,537 | 2.15% |
2015 | 71,420 | 1,090 | 1.55% |
2014 | 70,330 | 761 | 1.09% |
2013 | 69,569 | 625 | 0.91% |
2012 | 68,944 | 822 | 1.21% |
2011 | 68,122 | 625 | 0.93% |
2010 | 67,497 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 57,053 | 14,135 | 32.93% |
1990 | 42,918 | 9,567 | 28.69% |
1980 | 33,351 | 3,854 | 13.07% |
1970 | 29,497 | 2,407 | 8.89% |
1960 | 27,090 | 4,605 | 20.48% |
1950 | 22,485 | 4,036 | 21.88% |
1940 | 18,449 | 3,792 | 25.87% |
1930 | 14,657 | 1,989 | 15.7% |
1920 | 12,668 | -201 | -1.56% |
1910 | 12,869 | 8,503 | 194.75% |
1900 | 4,366 | 940 | 27.44% |
1890 | 3,426 | -81,049 | -95.94% |