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Is being in an area 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 Glendive and Polson, thank you very much.
But today we're going to put opinions aside and just look at the cold hard facts -- over the past five years, which cities in Montana have the grown the fastest.
After getting knee deep in the Census's American Community Survey, we emerged with this set of cities in the Treasure State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Montana for 2022 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Montana For 2022
What's the fastest growing city in Montana for 2022? Based on the most recent ACS data, Bozeman ranks as the fastest growing city in Montana. If you happen to be a resident of Bozeman, you're probably not too surprised to find it on our list.
If you're surprised--and you're wondering why these places are kind of a big deal--keep reading. We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Montana are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Montana or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Montana state reading:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Montana For 2022
1. Bozeman
/10
Population: 48,330
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 36,440
Percent Growth 32.6%
Absolute Growth: 11,890
More on Bozeman: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Whitefish
/10
Population: 8,032
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 6,352
Percent Growth 26.4%
Absolute Growth: 1,680
More on Whitefish: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Belgrade
/10
Population: 9,184
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 2)
Population 2010: 7,281
Percent Growth 26.1%
Absolute Growth: 1,903
More on Belgrade: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. Sidney
/10
Population: 6,351
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 2)
Population 2010: 5,052
Percent Growth 25.7%
Absolute Growth: 1,299
More on Sidney: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Kalispell
/10
Population: 23,935
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 19,298
Percent Growth 24.0%
Absolute Growth: 4,637
More on Kalispell: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Columbia Falls
/10
Population: 5,651
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Population 2010: 4,626
Percent Growth 22.2%
Absolute Growth: 1,025
More on Columbia Falls: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Helena
/10
Population: 32,655
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Population 2010: 27,672
Percent Growth 18.0%
Absolute Growth: 4,983
More on Helena: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Missoula
/10
Population: 74,994
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Population 2010: 65,383
Percent Growth 14.7%
Absolute Growth: 9,611
More on Missoula: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Polson
/10
Population: 5,033
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Population 2010: 4,468
Percent Growth 12.6%
Absolute Growth: 565
More on Polson: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Livingston
/10
Population: 7,696
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 7,094
Percent Growth 8.5%
Absolute Growth: 602
More on Livingston: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Treasure State for 2022
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we simply had to look at the growth rates for cities sine 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 2018)
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]
Here's a graph of the cities in Montana with the largest 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 Bozeman which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
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):
- Anaconda-Deer Lodge County
- Lewistown
- Miles City
For more Montana reading, check out:
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Montana For 2022
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bozeman | 32.6% |
| 2 | Whitefish | 26.4% |
| 3 | Belgrade | 26.1% |
| 4 | Sidney | 25.7% |
| 5 | Kalispell | 24.0% |
| 6 | Columbia Falls | 22.2% |
| 7 | Helena | 18.0% |
| 8 | Missoula | 14.7% |
| 9 | Polson | 12.6% |
| 10 | Livingston | 8.5% |
