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Montana

Population 1,116,875
6 Sources Updated September 10, 2026
1.1M
Population
334,922,499 U.S.
$72,509
Median Income
$80,734 national
$78.4B
GDP (current $), change real
3%
Unemployment
4.0% national
Community Data / United States / Montana

County Map

Click a county to view its economic profile

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$72,509
Per Capita
$41,711
Mean Household
$98,908
Poverty Rate
11.5%

Age & Race / Ethnicity

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 20.1% (224,673 residents) 55-64: 13% (144,969 residents) 35-54: 24% (267,928 residents) 18-34: 21.9% (244,598 residents) Under 18: 21% (234,707 residents) 40 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 21%
18-34 · 21.9%
35-54 · 24%
55-64 · 13%
65+ · 20.1%
Race & Ethnicity
White85%
Two or More Races6.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native5.6%
Some Other Race1.3%
Asian0.8%
Black or African American0.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander0%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)4.6%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
94.6%
High School+
National: 89.6%
+5.0 pts
35.2%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
0.5 pts
12%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
2.1 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
1,116,875
Population
568,568
Labor Force
Employed
547,966
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual
3%
2025 is not shown for Montana: a state annual average needs all 12 months and the Bureau of Labor Statistics has published 11. County pages draw on the separate annual series and may show 2025.
Mean Commute 7 min below national avg
19.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
12.5%
Labor Force and Employed are ACS 5-Year survey estimates; the Unemployment Rate above comes from BLS LAUS, a separate monthly survey with its own methodology. The two won't reconcile by subtracting one from the other.
Montana's median household income sits 10% below the national median. At 11.5%, its poverty rate runs 1.0 pts below the ~12.5% national level, relevant for federal funding eligibility narratives. Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 35.2% trails the national average of 35.7%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.
Key Takeaways
  • Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, affecting retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base statewide.
  • Broadly in line with U.S. norms across income, poverty, education, and age.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$78.4B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP2 Regional GDP
94.645
Cost of Living - Below Avg

Top Private-Sector Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual · Private sector only, with government shown below
IndustryEmployment% of Top SectorsAvg Wage
1Health Care and Social Assistance		 75,656 20.8%
$67,266
2Retail Trade		 63,172 17.4%
$42,443
3Accommodation and Food Services		 60,168 16.6%
$29,881
4Construction		 36,854 10.2%
$75,949
5Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services		 28,883 8.0%
$108,351
6Administrative and Support and Waste Management		 22,459 6.2%
$56,564
7Manufacturing		 20,947 5.8%
$71,543
8Wholesale Trade		 18,908 5.2%
$86,181
9Other Services (except Public Administration)		 18,861 5.2%
$46,013
10Finance and Insurance		 16,961 4.7%
$101,629
Government employment · context only
85,342

Public-sector jobs are not in the table above and are not part of any share or location quotient on this page. Both are measured on the private economy only, 427,082 private jobs in 2025: every location quotient divides by that total, and the % of Top Sectors column divides by the sectors listed above. Private employment is the standard basis for measuring industry concentration because government employment mostly serves the resident population rather than an outside market. Nothing on this card is expected to add up with the government figure.

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Key Takeaways
  • Largest private-sector industry: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 75,656 workers (20.8% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $67,266. Every industry figure on this page is private sector; government employs a further 85,342 and is counted separately.
  • Economic scale: State GDP of $78.4B (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services averages $108,351 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $29,881, a 3.6x spread in the same economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP (CAGDP2).

Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Chart source: BLS QCEW · broad NAICS supersector · private sector · Location Quotient vs. national private-sector employment share. The same supersector axes appear on every profile, so the shape can be compared across geographies.
Concentrated Industries
List source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · private sector · Location Quotient vs. national private-sector employment share.
Same source and same private-sector basis as the Top Industries table above. These sit at a finer level than the chart's supersector axes, so the two sets of values are not directly comparable. The sub-sector view surfaces specialization the supersector view masks, such as Mining (except Oil and Gas) here.
Mining (except Oil and Gas)
6.09x
3,672
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing
4.36x
1,528
Animal Production and Aquaculture
3.20x
2,772
Pipeline Transportation
3.20x
576
Forestry and Logging
3.06x
449
Accommodation
2.57x
15,834
Postal Service
2.00x
47
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
1.99x
6,691
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Misc. Retailers
1.98x
9,389
Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional Orgs
1.97x
9,039
+ 8 more sub-sectors at LQ ≥ 1.5, holding a further 67,933 jobs. See the spider chart for the broader picture.

Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries

LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, screened against industrial power cost. Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector
0.07x
Warehousing and Storage
428 employed
0.12x
Electrical Equipment, Appliance Manufacturing
164 employed
0.18x
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing
584 employed
0.19x
Apparel Manufacturing
48 employed
0.19x
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
433 employed
0.20x
Primary Metal Manufacturing
234 employed
0.25x
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
1,392 employed
0.27x
Management of Companies and Enterprises
2,265 employed
Screened on industrial power cost only. Industrial electricity in Montana costs 7.02¢/kWh against 8.62¢/kWh nationally (2025). Land area and freight access are not assessed at state level. Source: EIA.
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Mining (except Oil and Gas) concentrates at 6.09x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity.
  • Cluster depth: 18 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base across the state.
  • Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Industry Employment Composition
Montana's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of the top private supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$375,800
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,081
Rent/Mo
69.2%
Owner-Occ
13.2%
Vacancy
5.2x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Stretched
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents (Statewide)

Renter-household-weighted average across 56 Fair Market Rent areas · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026 · Affordability threshold and renter cost burden from Census ACS B25119, B25070
Studio
$1,119/mo$729 to $1,485
1 Bedroom
$1,240/mo$800 to $1,642
2 Bedroom
$1,558/mo$973 to $2,154
3 Bedroom
$2,127/mo$1,337 to $2,996
4 Bedroom
$2,503/mo$1,573 to $3,537
30% of monthly median renter household income (~$1,205/mo, from a renter median of $48,192) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Measured: 40.4% of renter households already pay 30% or more of income on rent, and 18.8% pay 50% or more.
Key Takeaways
  • Stretched market: Home value to income ratio of 5.2x is well above the ~4.1x national average; attainable workforce housing may be a recruitment friction.
  • Elevated vacancy: 13.2% vacancy rate; potential redevelopment opportunity.
  • Affordable rent tiers: 1 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom sizes sit below what a household on the median renter income of $48,192 can pay without cost burden (~$1,205/mo), and 40.4% of renter households are measured as cost-burdened.
Source: Census ACS housing tables.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
657,495
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Labor force participation rate: 64.9% of population aged 18+ 65% Participation (18+)
vs 2019
Mean Commute 7 min below national avg
19.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
12.5%

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
35.2%
HS Diploma+
94.6%
6 Largest Institutions by Credentials Awarded
Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).
Montana State University 3,536/yr
The University of Montana 3,194/yr
Montana State University Billings 795/yr
The University of Montana-Western 425/yr
University of Providence 391/yr
Montana Technological University 381/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
22%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Same cohort is 13% of total population, the basis used in the Demographics cohort chart.
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
40.8%
Service
17.7%
Sales & Office
19%
Construction / Maint.
11.8%
Production / Transport
10.7%
Bars are drawn on a 0% to 60% axis, so bar length is proportional to actual share. Labels give each group's share of 547,966 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Healthy participation: 64.9% of the population aged 18+ is in the labor force, reflecting a steady, available workforce statewide.
  • Short commutes: 19.1-minute mean commute is a quality-of-life and labor-access advantage for site selectors.
Source: ACS workforce data.

County Profiles

56 counties in Montana

Beaverhead County FIPS 30001 Big Horn County FIPS 30003 Blaine County FIPS 30005 Broadwater County FIPS 30007 Carbon County FIPS 30009 Carter County FIPS 30011 Cascade County FIPS 30013 Chouteau County FIPS 30015 Custer County FIPS 30017 Daniels County FIPS 30019 Dawson County FIPS 30021 Deer Lodge County FIPS 30023 Fallon County FIPS 30025 Fergus County FIPS 30027 Flathead County FIPS 30029 Gallatin County FIPS 30031 Garfield County FIPS 30033 Glacier County FIPS 30035 Golden Valley County FIPS 30037 Granite County FIPS 30039 Hill County FIPS 30041 Jefferson County FIPS 30043 Judith Basin County FIPS 30045 Lake County FIPS 30047 Lewis and Clark County FIPS 30049 Liberty County FIPS 30051 Lincoln County FIPS 30053 Madison County FIPS 30057 McCone County FIPS 30055 Meagher County FIPS 30059 Mineral County FIPS 30061 Missoula County FIPS 30063 Musselshell County FIPS 30065 Park County FIPS 30067 Petroleum County FIPS 30069 Phillips County FIPS 30071 Pondera County FIPS 30073 Powder River County FIPS 30075 Powell County FIPS 30077 Prairie County FIPS 30079 Ravalli County FIPS 30081 Richland County FIPS 30083 Roosevelt County FIPS 30085 Rosebud County FIPS 30087 Sanders County FIPS 30089 Sheridan County FIPS 30091 Silver Bow County FIPS 30093 Stillwater County FIPS 30095 Sweet Grass County FIPS 30097 Teton County FIPS 30099 Toole County FIPS 30101 Treasure County FIPS 30103 Valley County FIPS 30105 Wheatland County FIPS 30107 Wibaux County FIPS 30109 Yellowstone County FIPS 30111

AI Insights

Sample output. Pulse AI analysis draws on 6 federal data sources.

Sample AI Insight

Montana shows strong potential for mining (except oil and gas) attraction, with a 6.09x concentration and 3,672 jobs in this sub-sector.

Cluster depth across mining (except oil and gas), petroleum and coal products manufacturing, and animal production and aquaculture creates supply-chain attraction leverage, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
USAspending.govFY2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Montana, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Montana?

1,116,875 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Montana?

$72,509 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Montana?

3% (2024 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Montana?

$78.4B (BEA CAGDP2 (Regional)).