MT
Montana
FIPS 30 · Population 1,116,875
6 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
1.1M ▲
Population
334,922,499 U.S.
$72,509 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
$78.4B
GDP
3%
Unemployment
4% national
County Map
Click a county to view its economic profile
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 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 2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 21%
18-34 · 21.9%
35-54 · 24%
55-64 · 13%
65+ · 20.1%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 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 2024 5-Year Estimates
1,116,875
Population
572,413
Labor Force
Employed
547,966
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual
3%
Mean Commute 7 min below national avg
19.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
12.5%
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 2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.
Key Takeaways
- Broadly in line with U.S. norms across income, poverty, education, and age.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 75,692 workers (20.9% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $67,235.
- Economic scale: State GDP of $78.4B (2024).
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries
LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, potential attraction targets. 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
Apparel Manufacturing
48 employed
0.18x
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing
584 employed
0.19x
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
433 employed
0.20x
Primary Metal Manufacturing
234 employed
0.24x
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
1,392 employed
0.26x
Management of Companies and Enterprises
2,260 employed
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Mining (except Oil and Gas) concentrates at 5.94x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity.
- Cluster depth: 10 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.
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
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 household income (~$1,813/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
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.
Source: Census ACS housing tables.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
657,495 ▲
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
▼ vs 2019
Mean Commute
19.1 min
Work From Home
12.5%
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
35.2%
HS Diploma+
94.6%
Top Institutions
Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).
3,536/yr
3,194/yr
795/yr
425/yr
391/yr
381/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
22%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 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 scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 547,966 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- 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
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 6 federal data sources
Sample AI Insight
Montana shows strong potential for mining (except oil and gas) attraction, with a 5.94x 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 SAGDP (state GDP)).
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