COUNTY
Yellowstone County
Montana · 172,692 residents (2025 est.) · 2,633 sq mi
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Part of the Billings metro area
The short version
Yellowstone County is a county of 168,957 people in Montana. That puts it in the top 6% of US counties for household income. 2% of residents were born outside the United States. The population is up 31% since 2000. Getting to work takes 19 minutes on average. There are 64 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $76,570, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.0
US median: 38.9
Average education
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 97%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Yellowstone County
What changed most since 1990
- Median home value (2024 dollars)$150,484 → $349,500 (+132%)US over the same years: +67%
- White share93.7% → 83.4% (−10.3 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
- Hispanic share2.7% → 6.6% (+3.9 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Among the 56 counties in Montana
- 7th in household income$76,570
- 10th in share with a bachelor's degree34.1%
- 16th in home value$349,500
- 13th in diversity score36.5
Section 01
Population & growth
168,957
+31%since 2000
from 129,352 in 2000
172,692 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
2,633 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024169K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.6%(9,395)
5 to 96.7%(11,345)
10 to 146.6%(11,137)
15 to 196.3%(10,569)
20 to 245.8%(9,744)
25 to 3413.7%(23,168)
35 to 4413.5%(22,847)
45 to 5411.4%(19,250)
55 to 6412.2%(20,610)
65 to 7410.9%(18,344)
75 to 845.3%(8,960)
85 and over2.1%(3,588)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$76,570
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,727 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
51.1%
+24.0 ptssince 2009
from 27.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.7%
Wholesale trade8.1%
Finance & insurance7%
Other services6.2%
Professional, scientific, technical6.1%
Retail trade4.4%
Public administration4.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.6%
Transportation & warehousing2.6%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
Manufacturing1.4%
Construction1.2%
Education & health services0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$349,500
+97%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $97,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.6
+34%since 2009
from 3.4 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
64
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic91%(117,698)
Black0.4%(542)
Hispanic / Latino3.7%(4,788)
Asian0.5%(666)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic83.4%(140,945)
Black0.4%(757)
Hispanic / Latino6.6%(11,144)
Asian0.7%(1,203)
Other8.8%(14,908)
36
+27%since 2009
from 29 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
22
−14%since 2020
from 25 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican4.8%(8,036)
Spaniard0.6%(1,038)
Puerto Rican0.2%(388)
South American0.2%(331)
Central American0.1%(191)
Argentine0.1%(128)
Colombian0.1%(105)
Bolivian0.1%(87)
Cuban0.1%(86)
Dominican0%(64)
Salvadoran0%(53)
Nicaraguan0%(52)
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.2%(365)
Japanese0.2%(283)
Chinese0.1%(235)
Filipino0.1%(184)
Korean0.1%(104)
Asian Indian0%(12)
Cambodian0%(3)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(191)
Samoan0.1%(154)
Marshallese0%(48)
Tongan0%(34)
Chamorro0%(15)
Ancestry
German29%(48,998)
Irish13.2%(22,364)
English12.7%(21,506)
Norwegian9.3%(15,679)
American4.7%(7,936)
Italian3.3%(5,591)
Scottish2.7%(4,545)
Swedish2.4%(4,013)
French2.3%(3,859)
Polish1.7%(2,897)
Russian1.4%(2,417)
Dutch1.1%(1,811)
+ 37 more ancestry groups with data
Danish1.1%(1,798)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(1,554)
Welsh0.6%(1,077)
Subsaharan African0.5%(897)
French Canadian0.5%(841)
British0.5%(828)
Czech0.5%(776)
Finnish0.5%(771)
Swiss0.3%(473)
Canadian0.2%(395)
Belgian0.2%(380)
Serbian0.2%(351)
Hungarian0.2%(334)
Austrian0.2%(327)
Ukrainian0.2%(287)
Greek0.2%(275)
Croatian0.2%(266)
Lithuanian0.1%(246)
Portuguese0.1%(208)
West Indian0.1%(141)
Slovene0.1%(121)
Haitian0.1%(104)
Arab0.1%(101)
Bulgarian0.1%(90)
Slovak0%(78)
Nigerian0%(62)
Egyptian0%(45)
Jamaican0%(37)
Australian0%(34)
Latvian0%(27)
Armenian0%(26)
Iranian0%(22)
Romanian0%(17)
Turkish0%(9)
Lebanese0%(6)
Brazilian0%(4)
Ethiopian0%(3)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
95.5%
+7.1 ptssince 2000
from 88.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.1%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 77.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.9%
+3.5 ptssince 2020
from 92.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married33.5%(22,631)
Married51.3%(34,616)
Widowed2.3%(1,561)
Divorced12.8%(8,657)
Women 15+
Never married26.3%(18,306)
Married50.6%(35,258)
Widowed9.1%(6,309)
Divorced14%(9,742)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
15.7%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
3.9%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 3.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
68.4%
−3.0 ptssince 2020
from 71.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.0%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 36.4% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)24.2%(2,936)
Gulf War (1990s)21.7%(2,632)
Vietnam era34.4%(4,174)
Korean War4.9%(589)
World War II1.5%(185)
Share of the 12,127 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Yellowstone County, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 113,419 | $62,263 | $150,484 | 21.5% | 15.0 |
| 2000 | 129,352 | $66,904 | $177,065 | 26.4% | 21.1 |
| 2010 | 147,972 | $69,974 | $242,831 | 29.0% | 27.1 |
| 2020 | 164,731 | $75,910 | $289,314 | 32.8% | 38.0 |
| 2024 | 168,957 | $76,570 | $349,500 | 34.1% | 36.5 |
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
Drill deeper
Places similar to Yellowstone County
Madera County
Pop 167,927
Scott County
Pop 175,259
Indian River County
Pop 172,799
Sumter County
Pop 157,772
Places similar to Yellowstone CountyHead to head
Compare Yellowstone County to nearby counties
YELLOWSTONE COUNTY VS
Musselshell County
Income$58,920−23%
Home value$235,000−33%
Population5,582−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
YELLOWSTONE COUNTY VS
Big Horn County
Income$58,750−23%
Home value$143,400−59%
Population12,752−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
YELLOWSTONE COUNTY VS
Treasure County
Income$67,917−11%
Home value$230,300−34%
Population728−100%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
YELLOWSTONE COUNTY VS
Golden Valley County
Income$58,333−24%
Home value$212,200−39%
Population844−100%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Yellowstone County, Montana?
Yellowstone County, Montana has about 168,957 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Yellowstone County, Montana?
The typical household in Yellowstone County, Montana earns about $76,570 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Yellowstone County, Montana expensive?
In Yellowstone County, Montana, the median home is worth about $349,500, and the typical rent is about $1,131 a month.
How educated are people in Yellowstone County, Montana?
About 34.1% of adults age 25 and over in Yellowstone County, Montana hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Yellowstone County, Montana?
About 9.2% of people in Yellowstone County, Montana live below the federal poverty line.
Has Yellowstone County, Montana grown since 1990?
Yes, Yellowstone County, Montana has grown since 1990. The population has added about 55,538 residents, a change of about 49 percent over that period.
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36 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 14.04Census Tract 18.01Census Tract 14.02Census Tract 14.03Census Tract 7.07Census Tract 13Census Tract 7.01Census Tract 17.03Census Tract 9400.01Census Tract 9.02Census Tract 10Census Tract 15.01Census Tract 11Census Tract 19.02Census Tract 15.02Census Tract 8Census Tract 7.06Census Tract 9.01Census Tract 19.01Census Tract 17.0412 ZIP codes
ZIP 59102ZIP 59101ZIP 59105ZIP 59106ZIP 59044ZIP 59079ZIP 59037ZIP 59088ZIP 59006ZIP 59015ZIP 59024ZIP 59002Up the hierarchy
All counties in MontanaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024