Is being in an area of Montana that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Billings and Missoula, while others want peace and quiet like in Polson and Columbia Falls, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in Montana have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Treasure State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Montana For 2025
What’s the fastest growing city in Montana for 2025? Based on the most recent ACS data, Belgrade ranks as the fastest-growing city in Montana. If you happen to be a resident of Belgrade, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Montana grow like weeds.
For more Montana state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Montana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Montana
- Most Dangerous Cities In Montana
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Montana For 2025
1. Belgrade
/10
Population: 11,425
Population 2010: 7,281
Percent Growth 56.9%
Absolute Growth: 4,144
More on Belgrade: Data
2. Bozeman
/10
Population: 55,042
Population 2010: 36,440
Percent Growth 51.0%
Absolute Growth: 18,602
More on Bozeman: Data
3. Kalispell
/10
Population: 26,830
Population 2010: 19,298
Percent Growth 39.0%
Absolute Growth: 7,532
More on Kalispell: Data
4. Whitefish
/10
Population: 8,422
Population 2010: 6,352
Percent Growth 32.6%
Absolute Growth: 2,070
More on Whitefish: Data
5. Sidney
/10
Population: 6,235
Population 2010: 5,052
Percent Growth 23.4%
Absolute Growth: 1,183
More on Sidney: Data
6. Livingston
/10
Population: 8,635
Population 2010: 7,094
Percent Growth 21.7%
Absolute Growth: 1,541
More on Livingston: Data
7. Helena
/10
Population: 33,126
Population 2010: 27,672
Percent Growth 19.7%
Absolute Growth: 5,454
More on Helena: Data
8. Columbia Falls
/10
Population: 5,531
Population 2010: 4,626
Percent Growth 19.6%
Absolute Growth: 905
More on Columbia Falls:
9. Polson
/10
Population: 5,334
Population 2010: 4,468
Percent Growth 19.4%
Absolute Growth: 866
More on Polson:
10. Billings
/10
Population: 118,321
Population 2010: 101,549
Percent Growth 16.5%
Absolute Growth: 16,772
More on Billings: Data
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Treasure State for 2025
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2023)
We ranked all 17 Montana cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Treasure State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in Montana.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Montana with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Montana, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Montana are led by Belgrade which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Montana are Belgrade, Bozeman, Kalispell, Whitefish, Sidney, Livingston, Helena, Columbia Falls, Polson, and Billings.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Havre
- Lewistown
- Miles City
For more Montana reading, check out:
Fastest Growing Places In Montana For 2025
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgrade | 11,425 | 7,281 | 56.9% | 4,144 |
| 2 | Bozeman | 55,042 | 36,440 | 51.0% | 18,602 |
| 3 | Kalispell | 26,830 | 19,298 | 39.0% | 7,532 |
| 4 | Whitefish | 8,422 | 6,352 | 32.6% | 2,070 |
| 5 | Sidney | 6,235 | 5,052 | 23.4% | 1,183 |
| 6 | Livingston | 8,635 | 7,094 | 21.7% | 1,541 |
| 7 | Helena | 33,126 | 27,672 | 19.7% | 5,454 |
| 8 | Columbia Falls | 5,531 | 4,626 | 19.6% | 905 |
| 9 | Polson | 5,334 | 4,468 | 19.4% | 866 |
| 10 | Billings | 118,321 | 101,549 | 16.5% | 16,772 |