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 Hamilton and Polson, 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 2026
What’s the fastest growing city in Montana for 2026? 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 2026
1. Belgrade
/10
Population: 11,872
Population 2010: 7,281
Percent Growth 63.1%
Absolute Growth: 4,591
More on Belgrade: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Bozeman
/10
Population: 56,114
Population 2010: 36,440
Percent Growth 54.0%
Absolute Growth: 19,674
More on Bozeman: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Kalispell
/10
Population: 28,504
Population 2010: 19,298
Percent Growth 47.7%
Absolute Growth: 9,206
More on Kalispell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Whitefish
/10
Population: 8,749
Population 2010: 6,352
Percent Growth 37.7%
Absolute Growth: 2,397
More on Whitefish: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Livingston
/10
Population: 8,780
Population 2010: 7,094
Percent Growth 23.8%
Absolute Growth: 1,686
More on Livingston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Sidney
/10
Population: 6,171
Population 2010: 5,052
Percent Growth 22.1%
Absolute Growth: 1,119
More on Sidney: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Helena
/10
Population: 33,639
Population 2010: 27,672
Percent Growth 21.6%
Absolute Growth: 5,967
More on Helena: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Polson
/10
Population: 5,428
Population 2010: 4,468
Percent Growth 21.5%
Absolute Growth: 960
More on Polson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Columbia Falls
/10
Population: 5,615
Population 2010: 4,626
Percent Growth 21.4%
Absolute Growth: 989
More on Columbia Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. Hamilton
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Treasure State for 2026
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 2024)
We ranked all 18 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 2026. This report is our eleventh 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, Livingston, Sidney, Helena, Polson, Columbia Falls, and Hamilton.
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
- Miles City
- Lewistown
For more Montana reading, check out:
Fastest Growing Places In Montana For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgrade | 11,872 | 7,281 | 63.1% | 4,591 |
| 2 | Bozeman | 56,114 | 36,440 | 54.0% | 19,674 |
| 3 | Kalispell | 28,504 | 19,298 | 47.7% | 9,206 |
| 4 | Whitefish | 8,749 | 6,352 | 37.7% | 2,397 |
| 5 | Livingston | 8,780 | 7,094 | 23.8% | 1,686 |
| 6 | Sidney | 6,171 | 5,052 | 22.1% | 1,119 |
| 7 | Helena | 33,639 | 27,672 | 21.6% | 5,967 |
| 8 | Polson | 5,428 | 4,468 | 21.5% | 960 |
| 9 | Columbia Falls | 5,615 | 4,626 | 21.4% | 989 |
| 10 | Hamilton | 5,101 | 4,326 | 17.9% | 775 |