County profile

Missoula County

Montana · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
120,672
Median household income
$75,598
People below poverty
10.1%
Median home value
$472,100

Income

The median income of households in Missoula County, Montana was $75,598. An estimated 4.3% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 10.2% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 4.3
$10,000 to $14,999 3.5
$15,000 to $24,999 6.8
$25,000 to $34,999 7.3
$35,000 to $49,999 11.4
$50,000 to $74,999 16.3
$75,000 to $99,999 13.9
$100,000 to $149,999 17.8
$150,000 to $199,999 8.4
$200,000 or more 10.2

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 61083
Female 49198

An estimated 79.7% of households received earnings. An estimated 28.3% of households received Social Security and an estimated 22.6 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $24,565. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 79.7
Social Security 28.3
Retirement income 22.6
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 3
Cash public assistance income 2.6

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 10.1 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 7.5% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 8.4% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 11.3% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 10.1
Children under 18 years below poverty 7.5
People 65 years old and over below poverty 8.4
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 11.3

In 2020-2024, 7.5 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 37.8% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 33.8% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 26.9% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024, 93.9% had health insurance coverage and 6.1% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 73.6% and public coverage was 34.4%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 3.1%.


In 2020-2024, Missoula County, Montana had a total population of 120,672 - 60,134 (49.8%) females and 60,538 (50.2%) males. The median age was 37.1 years. An estimated 18.2% of the population was under 18 years, 39.7% was 19 to 44 years, 22% was 45 to 64 years, and 17.1 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 2882 2628
5 to 9 2629 2915
10 to 14 3660 3140
15 to 19 3864 3836
20 to 24 5834 6070
25 to 29 5005 4741
30 to 34 4766 4399
35 to 39 4836 4345
40 to 44 4025 3852
45 to 49 3229 3390
50 to 54 3507 3136
55 to 59 3120 3185
60 to 64 3370 3625
65 to 69 3275 3539
70 to 74 2898 3114
75 to 79 1750 2020
80 to 84 1006 1063
85 and over 882 1136

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 86.9% were White; 0.4% were Black or African American; 8.1% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 1.6% were Asian; 0.2% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 7.4% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 5.1% of the people in Missoula County, Montana were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 85.5% of the people in Missoula County, Montana were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 52,679 households in Missoula County, Montana. The average household size was 2.23 people.

Married-couple households made up 42.1% of the households in Missoula County, Montana while cohabiting couple households made up 10.9% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 26.6% of all households, while 20.4% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 14.4% of households were male householders living alone, and 17.8% were female householders living alone, for a total of 32.2% of all households.

In Missoula County, Montana, 23.2% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 27.8% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 42.1
Cohabiting Couples 10.9
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
20.4
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
26.6

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 46.2% of males and 43.7% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 40.8 35.5
Now married, except separated 46.2 43.7
Separated 0.4 1
Widowed 2.5 6.1
Divorced 10 13.5

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Missoula County, Montana, 1,227 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 38.8% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 97.1% of the people living in Missoula County, Montana were U.S. natives. 46.3% of the Missoula County, Montana population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 2.9% of Missoula County, Montana residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 53.5% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 60 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Missoula County, Montana come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Missoula County, Montana.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 20.2
Asia 38.9
Europe 29.1
Africa 2.8
Northern America 8.2
Oceania 0.8

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024, 4.8 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 1.6% of people at least five years old; 1.1% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 1.6
Other Indo-European languages 1.7
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 1.2
Other languages 0.3

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 82.7 % of the people at least one year old living in Missoula County, Montana were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 82.7
Different house, same county 9.1
Different county, same state 3.5
Different state 4.3
Abroad 0.4

Education

In 2020-2024, 96.6 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 47.4% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 3.4% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Missoula County, Montana was 27,391 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 1,373 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 16,069. College or graduate school enrollment was 9,949.

Educational Attainment of People in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 3.4
High school diploma or equivalency 19.5
Some college, no degree 21.4
Associate's degree 8.3
Bachelor's degree 28.8
Graduate or professional degree 18.6

Disability

In Missoula County, Montana, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 12.6 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 3.9% of people under 18 years old, to 10.9% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 28.6% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Missoula County, Montana, 66.9 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 30.4% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 75.8% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 15.8% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 8.1 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 51,582 75.8
Federal, state, or local government workers 10,729 15.8
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 5,516 8.1

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Missoula County, Montana worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 2.7
Construction 6.7
Manufacturing 4
Wholesale trade 2.2
Retail trade 11.8
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 5.6
Information 1.8
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 5.1
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 13.4
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 25.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 12.3
Other Services, except public administration 5.3
Public administration 4

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 28,889 42.5
Service occupations 12,892 19
Sales and office occupations 13,154 19.3
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 6,147 9
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 6,935 10.2

Commuting to Work

An estimated 69.1% of Missoula County, Montana workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 8.3% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 18.1 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 69.1
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 8.3
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 1.1
Walked 3.2
Other means 3.8
Worked from home 14.6

In 2020-2024, Missoula County, Montana had a total of 56,930 housing units. Of these housing units, 62.7% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 29.1% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 8% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 62.7
Apartments in multi-unit structures 29.1
Mobile homes 8
Boat, RV, van, etc 0.2

15.7% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 10.2% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Missoula County, Montana was 5.2 rooms, and of these housing units 53.9% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Missoula County, Montana had 52,679 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 4,251 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 58.8% while renters occupied 41.2%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.41 and in renter-occupied houses it was 1.97.

6.4% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 7.3% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 5.2% and another 24.9% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Missoula County, Montana:

House Heating Fuel Used in Missoula County, Montana in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 59.2
Electricity 35
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 0.4
All other fuels 5.3
No fuel used 0.3

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Missoula County, Montana was $472,100.

Of the owner-occupied households, 63.6 % had a mortgage. 36.4% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,968 and for owners without a mortgage it was $708.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Missoula County, Montana was $1,190. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.