Missoula, Montana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Missoula, MT Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above average
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C
Income Below average
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A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Missoula | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 59,529 | 1,116,812 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1690.3 | 7.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.87% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.4 | 40.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 27,292 | 458,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Missoula grew by 14.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 59,529 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Missoula is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 32.2% of residents. That is 10.7 points above Montana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 19,149 32.2% +10.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 14,371 24.1% +3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,983 16.8% -2.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,621 12.8% -6.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Montana, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.7% of the people living in Missoula and men 50.3%.
- Women 49.7% Montana 49.4%
- Men 50.3% Montana 50.6%
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Economy
Missoula has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Missoula | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,380 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.65% | 5.17% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Missoula is about 10% lower than in Montana.
Housing
| Metric | Missoula | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $228,372 | $249,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,137 | $1,081 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 46.2% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Missoula is about 16.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,137 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Missoula spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 111 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Missoula | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.4 | 16.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.7 | 32.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 111 | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,454 | $4,143 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.3% | 12.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,098 | 2,162 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,478 | 403 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Missoula is 13 minutes, shorter than the 16 minutes in Montana.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Missoula has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Missoula | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.0% | 31.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.09 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Health
Missoula has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Missoula | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.5% | 14.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.3% | 18.8% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Missoula, Montana.
How big is Missoula, Montana by population?
About 59,529 people live in Missoula, Montana, in 27,292 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 32.4, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Missoula, Montana?
Averaged over its land area, Missoula, Montana has 1,690 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 20 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Missoula, Montana an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($228,372 against $65,380), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,137 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Missoula, Montana?
42.0% of adults in Missoula, Montana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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