Article Table Of Contents
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 Columbia Falls, 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 2021 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Montana For 2021
What's the fastest growing city in Montana for 2021? 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 2021
1. Bozeman
/10
Population: 46,746
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 36,440
Percent Growth 28.3%
Absolute Growth: 10,306
More on Bozeman: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Sidney
/10
Population: 6,416
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 5,052
Percent Growth 27.0%
Absolute Growth: 1,364
More on Sidney: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Whitefish
/10
Population: 7,714
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 6,352
Percent Growth 21.4%
Absolute Growth: 1,362
More on Whitefish: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. Kalispell
/10
Population: 23,241
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 19,298
Percent Growth 20.4%
Absolute Growth: 3,943
More on Kalispell: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Belgrade
/10
Population: 8,685
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Population 2010: 7,281
Percent Growth 19.3%
Absolute Growth: 1,404
More on Belgrade: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Columbia Falls
/10
Population: 5,429
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Population 2010: 4,626
Percent Growth 17.4%
Absolute Growth: 803
More on Columbia Falls: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Helena
/10
Population: 32,024
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Population 2010: 27,672
Percent Growth 15.7%
Absolute Growth: 4,352
More on Helena: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Missoula
/10
Population: 73,710
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Population 2010: 65,383
Percent Growth 12.7%
Absolute Growth: 8,327
More on Missoula: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Billings
/10
Population: 109,595
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Population 2010: 101,549
Percent Growth 7.9%
Absolute Growth: 8,046
More on Billings: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Livingston
/10
Population: 7,575
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 7,094
Percent Growth 6.8%
Absolute Growth: 481
More on Livingston: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Treasure State for 2021
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 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]
Here's a graph of the cities in Montana with the largest percent increase in population:
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
- Great Falls
For more Montana reading, check out:
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Montana For 2021
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bozeman | 28.3% |
| 2 | Sidney | 27.0% |
| 3 | Whitefish | 21.4% |
| 4 | Kalispell | 20.4% |
| 5 | Belgrade | 19.3% |
| 6 | Columbia Falls | 17.4% |
| 7 | Helena | 15.7% |
| 8 | Missoula | 12.7% |
| 9 | Billings | 7.9% |
| 10 | Livingston | 6.8% |
