Montana

Add Comparison

Population

1.06M

1.12% growth

Median Age

40.1


Median Household Income

$55,328

3.64% growth

Poverty Rate

14.4%


Number of Employees

491,024

2% growth

Median Property Value

$249,200

7.74% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2018, Montana had a population of 1.06M people with a median age of 40.1 and a median household income of $55,328. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Montana grew from 1.05M to 1.06M, a 1.12% increase and its median household income grew from $53,386 to $55,328, a 3.64% increase.

The population of Montana is 85.9% White Alone, 6.16% American Indian & Alaska Native Alone, and 3.92% Hispanic or Latino. N/A% of the people in Montana speak a non-English language, and 99.1% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Montana are The University of Montana (3,180 degrees awarded in 2017), Montana State University (3,180 degrees), and Montana State University-Billings (902 degrees).

The median property value in Montana is $249,200, and the homeownership rate is 67.5%. Most people in Montana commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 17.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Montana is 2 cars per household.

Montana borders Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Photo by Jeff Krause

United States

Economy

The economy of Montana employs 491k people. The largest industries in Montana are Restaurants & Food Services (35,770 people), Elementary & secondary schools (28,306 people), and Construction (28,298 people), and the highest paying industries are Other administrative & other support services ($119,718), Broadcasting (except internet) ($112,969), and Scientific research & development services ($111,745).

Median household income in Montana is $55,328. Males in Montana have an average income that is 1.35 times higher than the average income of females, which is $42,785. The income inequality in Montana (measured using the Gini index) is 0.455, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$55,328

2018 value

± $1,172

3.64%

1 Year Growth

± 3.29%

Households in Montana have a median annual income of $55,328, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $53,386 in 2017, which represents a 3.64% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Montana compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$57,596

Average Male Salary

± $3,063

$42,785

Average Female Salary

± $1,967

In 2018, full-time male employees in Montana made 1.35 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Montana by number of full-time employees.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races

    $46,037 ± $10,716

  2. Asian

    $45,250 ± $28,477

  3. White

    $44,039 ± $1,817

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Montana workers was American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races. These workers were paid 1.02 times more than Asian workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Montana by number of full-time employees.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Wage Distribution

0.455

2018 Wage GINI

0.458

2017 Wage GINI

In 2018, the income inequality in Montana was 0.455 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.621% decline from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2018 the GINI for Montana was lower than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Montana in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Montana across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Gallatin County, MT

  2. Lewis and Clark County, MT

  3. Yellowstone County, MT

In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Montana was Gallatin County, MT with a value of $68,266, followed by Lewis and Clark County, MT and Yellowstone County, MT, with respective values of $65,241 and $60,079.

The following map shows all of the counties in Montana colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 18 - 24

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

14.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Montana (144k out of 1M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    112,761 ± 2,210

  2. Native American

    22,921 ± 815

  3. Hispanic

    7,352 ± 573

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Montana is White, followed by Native American and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Occupations

Employment by Occupations

491k

2018 Value

2%

1 Year growth

± 2%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Montana grew at a rate of 2%, from 481k employees to 491k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Montana, are Firstline supervisors of retail sales workers (12,742 people), Cashiers (12,539 people), and Registered nurses (11,737 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Montana.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Montana, by number of employees, are Firstline supervisors of retail sales workers (12,742 people), Cashiers (12,539 people), and Registered nurses (11,737 people).

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Montana has an unusually high number of residents working as Mining machine operators (14.4 times higher than expected), Locomotive engineers & operators (8.7 times), and Farmers, ranchers, & other agricultural managers (7.16 times).

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Montana, by average salary, are Physicians ($248,072), Recreation workers ($224,722), and Firstline supervisors of construction trades & extraction workers ($117,576).

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Industries

Employment by Industries

491k

2018 Value

2%

1 Year growth

± 2%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Montana grew at a rate of 2%, from 481k employees to 491k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Montana, are Restaurants & Food Services (35,770 people), Elementary & secondary schools (28,306 people), and Construction (28,298 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Montana, though some of these residents may live in Montana and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Most Common

The most common industries in Montana, by number of employees, are Restaurants & Food Services (35,770 people), Elementary & secondary schools (28,306 people), and Construction (28,298 people).

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Montana has an unusually high number of Forestry except logging (19.9 times higher than expected), Metal ore mining (15.9 times), and Animal production & aquaculture (7.83 times) industries.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Montana, by average salary, are Other administrative & other support services ($119,718), Broadcasting (except internet) ($112,969), and Scientific research & development services ($111,745).

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Montana to other states, or from other states to Montana.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Coal-n.e.c.

    $7.36B

  2. Gasoline

    $6.5B

  3. Fuel oils

    $6.26B

In 2015, the top outbound Montana product (by dollars) was Coal-n.e.c. with $7.36B, followed by Gasoline ($6.5B) and Fuel oils ($6.26B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Montana products.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Domestic Trade Growth

$47.3B

2020 Value

$53.9B

Projected 2045 Value

13.9% growth

In 2020, total outbound Montana trade was $47.3B. This is expected to increase 13.9% to $53.9B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Montana trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Montana to other states, or from other states to Montana.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. North Dakota

    $5.46B

  2. Wyoming

    $3.06B

  3. Idaho

    $3.03B

In 2015, the top outbound Montana domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was North Dakota with $5.46B, followed by Wyoming with $3.06B and Idaho and $3.03B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Montana shares with each state (excluding itself).

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Health

91.5% of the population of Montana has health coverage, with 42.1% on employee plans, 17.1% on Medicaid, 13.1% on Medicare, 16.4% on non-group plans, and 2.85% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the state of Montana was $8,221 in 2014. This is a 2.84% increase from the previous year ($7,994).

Primary care physicians in Montana see 1308 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.305% decrease from the previous year (1312 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1416 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 378 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Glacier County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (14.8%). Additionally, Big Horn County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (37.9%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,308 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Montana see an average of 1,308 patients per year. This represents a 0.305% decrease from the previous year (1,312 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Montana in comparison to neighboring states.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Health Care Spending

$8,221

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$3,882

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$9,378

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$8,238

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Montana (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 2.84%, from $7,994 to $8,221.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Health Care Coverage

8.46%

Uninsured

42.1%

Employer Coverage

17.1%

Medicaid

13.1%

Medicare

16.4%

Non-Group

2.85%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Montana grew by 4.26% from 8.12% to 8.46%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Montana changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Glacier County

    14.8% prevalence

  2. Big Horn County

    13.4% prevalence

  3. Roosevelt County

    12.3% prevalence

Glacier County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Montana, at 14.8%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Montana by county over multiple years.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Diversity

Montana is home to a population of 1.06M people, from which 99.1% are citizens. As of 2017, 2.07% of Montana residents were born outside of the country (21.8k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Montana is composed of 912k White Alone residents (85.9%), 65.5k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (6.16%), 41.6k Hispanic or Latino residents (3.92%), 27.8k Two or More Races residents (2.61%), 8.47k Asian Alone residents (0.798%), 4.9k Black or African American Alone residents (0.461%), 980 Some Other Race Alone residents (0.0923%), and 929 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.0875%).

Age

Age by Nativity

40

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.4

45

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 4.5

In 2018, the median age of all people in Montana was 40.1. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 40, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 45. But people in Montana are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Montana residents was 40.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

2.07%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

21.8k people

2.01%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

20.9k people

As of 2017, 2.07% of Montana residents (21.8k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Montana was 2.01%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Montana compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Canada

    3,635 ± 1,478 people

  2. Mexico

    3,603 ± 1,471 people

  3. Germany

    1,549 ± 966 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Montana was Canada, the natal country of 3,635 Montana residents, followed by Mexico with 3,603 and Germany with 1,549.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Citizenship

99.1%

2018 Citizenship

99%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 99.1% of Montana residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in Montana was 99%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Montana compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    912k ± 764

  2. American Indian & Alaska Native Alone

    65.5k ± 2.5k

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    41.6k ± 3.39k

In 2018, there were 13.9 times more White Alone residents (912k people) in Montana than any other race or ethnicity. There were 65.5k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone and 41.6k Hispanic or Latino residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Montana as a share of the total population.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    31,435 ± 2,304

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    17,989 ± 2,262

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    11,106 ± 1,325

Montana has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.75 times greater than any other conflict.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Education

In 2017, universities in Montana awarded 11,511 degrees. The student population of Montana is skewed towards women, with 23,291 male students and 27,748 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Montana are White (9,126 and 81.8%), followed by American Indian or Alaska Native (618 and 5.54%), Unknown (475 and 4.26%), and Hispanic or Latino (366 and 3.28%).

The largest universities in Montana by number of degrees awarded are The University of Montana (3,180 and 27.6%), Montana State University (3,180 and 27.6%), and Montana State University-Billings (902 and 7.84%).

The most popular majors in Montana are Registered Nursing (685 and 5.95%), General Studies (637 and 5.53%), and General Business Administration & Management (448 and 3.89%).

The median tuition costs in Montana are $24,240 for private four year colleges, and $4,402 and $17,162 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. Registered Nursing

    433 degrees awarded

  2. General Business

    429 degrees awarded

  3. General Business Administration & Management

    324 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Montana was Registered Nursing with 433 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Montana according to their major.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. The University of Montana

    3,180 degrees awarded

  2. Montana State University

    3,180 degrees awarded

  3. Montana State University-Billings

    902 degrees awarded

$4,402

Median In-State Public

$24,240

Median Private

In 2017, the Montana institution with the largest number of graduating students was The University of Montana with 3,180 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Student Gender for Common Institutions

5,037

Degrees Awarded to Men

6,474

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 5,037 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Montana, which is 0.778 times less than the 6,474 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Montana by degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    9,126 degrees awarded

  2. American Indian or Alaska Native

    618 degrees awarded

  3. Unknown

    475 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Montana were to White students. These 9,126 degrees mean that there were 14.8 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, American Indian or Alaska Native, with 618 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Housing & Living

The median property value in Montana was $249,200 in 2018, which is 1.08 times larger than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $231,300 to $249,200, a 7.74% increase. The homeownership rate in Montana is 67.5%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Montana have an average commute time of 17.2 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Montana is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$249,200

2018 Median

± $3,832

$231,300

2017 Median

± $3,808

In 2018, the median property value in Montana grew to to $249,200 from the previous year's value of $231,300.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Montana compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Montana the largest share of households have a property value in the $300k - $400k range.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$55,328

Median Household Income

± $1,172

431k

Number of Households

± 9,521

In 2018, the median household income of the 431k households in Montana grew to $55,328 from the previous year's value of $53,386.

The following chart displays the households in Montana distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Property Taxes

$2k - $3k

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Montana distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Montana the largest share of households pay taxes in the $2k - $3k range.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Rent vs Own

67.5%

2018 Homeownership

69.2%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 67.5% of the housing units in Montana were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 69.2%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Montana compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Commute Time

17.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Montana have a shorter commute time (17.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.06% of the workforce in Montana have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Montana compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart
View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    74.9%

  2. Carpooled

    9.45%

  3. Worked At Home

    7.3%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Montana was Drove Alone (74.9%), followed by those who Carpooled (9.45%) and those who Worked At Home (7.3%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart

Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Montana distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Montana have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

View Data
Save Image
Add Data to Cart