Yellowstone County, Montana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Yellowstone County, 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 73% of counties in Montana
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 89% of counties in Montana
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 85% of counties in Montana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Yellowstone County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 168,956 | 1,116,812 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 63.8 | 7.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.03% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.4 | 40.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 69,897 | 458,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Yellowstone County grew by 20.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 168,956 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Yellowstone County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.0% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Montana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 35,147 20.8% -0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 37,142 22.0% +1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 32,324 19.1% -0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 29,310 17.3% -2.1 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 50.6% of the people living in Yellowstone County and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% Montana 49.4%
- Men 49.4% Montana 50.6%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Yellowstone County
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Economy
Yellowstone County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Yellowstone County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,024 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.21% | 5.17% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Yellowstone County is about 6% higher than in Montana.
Housing
| Metric | Yellowstone County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $232,715 | $249,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,130 | $1,081 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.6% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Yellowstone County is about 17.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,130 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Yellowstone County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 141 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Yellowstone County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.9 | 16.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.9 | 32.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 141 | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,379 | $4,143 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 12.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,198 | 2,162 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,398 | 403 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Montana:
Treasure County (7.2 min), Rosebud County (8.2 min), Fallon County (8.4 min).
Slowest:
Broadwater County (30.3 min), Stillwater County (27.8 min), Granite County (23.3 min).
The average commute time in Yellowstone County is 17 minutes, longer 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
Yellowstone County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Yellowstone County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.5% | 31.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Montana:
Gallatin County (0.4), Missoula County (0.3), Lewis and Clark County (0.3).
Lowest:
Liberty County (0.2), Toole County (0.2), Wheatland County (0.2).
Health
Yellowstone County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Yellowstone County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.0% | 14.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.9% | 18.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Montana:
Gallatin County (0.8), Missoula County (0.8), Granite County (0.8).
Lowest:
Glacier County (0.7), Big Horn County (0.8), Roosevelt County (0.8).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Yellowstone County, Montana.
What is the population of Yellowstone County, Montana?
About 168,956 people live in Yellowstone County, Montana, in 69,897 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 37.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Yellowstone County, Montana?
Averaged over its land area, Yellowstone County, Montana has 64 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Yellowstone County, Montana?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($232,715 against $77,024), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,130 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Yellowstone County, Montana?
Unemployment in Yellowstone County, Montana is only 3.4%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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