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Across most of America, the African American and Hispanic communities comprise "most of the minority". We're not totally sure that's a term, but it's an accurate reflection of the state of race in America.
Asians are a "minority of the minority", generally. But not everywhere.
There are now over 17 million people who identify as Asian living in America, making up 5.6% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Asian population in Montana is 8,802 - at 0.8% of the total population of Montana.
And, unlike African Americans that fall under one group in the Census, Asian Americans have many sub-groups -- Chinese, Filipino, and Indian being the three largest sub-groups.
So, what how does the Asian population stratify across Montana? Which cities and towns in Montana have seen the greatest increase in their Asian population?
Here are the cities in Montana with the largest Asian population in 2023:
Which city in Montana had the largest Asian population? Lewistown took the number one over all spot for the largest Asian in Montana for 2023. 3.03% of Lewistown identify as Asian.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where Montana ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Asian, check out the best places to live in Montana or the most diverse places in Montana.
The 10 Most Asian Cities In Montana For 2023
/10
Population: 5,967
% Asian: 3.03%
# Of Asian Residents: 181
Percent Change Since 2010: 320.93%
More on Lewistown: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 51,574
% Asian: 1.88%
# Of Asian Residents: 969
Percent Change Since 2010: 48.39%
More on Bozeman: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 73,300
% Asian: 1.69%
# Of Asian Residents: 1,239
Percent Change Since 2010: 57.23%
More on Missoula: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 7,164
% Asian: 1.69%
# Of Asian Residents: 121
Percent Change Since 2010: inf%
More on Laurel: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 24,260
% Asian: 1.54%
# Of Asian Residents: 374
Percent Change Since 2010: 270.3%
More on Kalispell: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 115,689
% Asian: 0.84%
# Of Asian Residents: 970
Percent Change Since 2010: 3.85%
More on Billings: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 32,060
% Asian: 0.82%
# Of Asian Residents: 263
Percent Change Since 2010: 4.37%
More on Helena: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 60,381
% Asian: 0.81%
# Of Asian Residents: 490
Percent Change Since 2010: 70.14%
More on Great Falls: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 9,417
% Asian: 0.79%
# Of Asian Residents: 74
Percent Change Since 2010: 21.31%
More on Havre: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 9,380
% Asian: 0.74%
# Of Asian Residents: 69
Percent Change Since 2010: 762.5%
More on Anaconda-Deer Lodge County: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Montana With The Largest Asian Population For 2023
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across Montana.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2017-2021 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as Asian alone.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 15 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Asian. The percentages ranked from 3.0% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Asian population with a higher score being more Asian than a lower score. Lewistown took the distinction of being the most Asian, while Whitefish was the least Asian city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Montana ranked by population of Asian residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
Summary: Asian Populations Across Montana
If you're looking for a breakdown of Asian populations across Montana according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least Asian places in Montana:
- Whitefish
- Sidney
- Belgrade
For more Montana reading, check out:
Table: Asian Population By City In Montana
| Rank | City | % Asian |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewistown | 3.03% |
| 2 | Bozeman | 1.88% |
| 3 | Missoula | 1.69% |
| 4 | Laurel | 1.69% |
| 5 | Kalispell | 1.54% |
| 6 | Billings | 0.84% |
| 7 | Helena | 0.82% |
| 8 | Great Falls | 0.81% |
| 9 | Havre | 0.79% |
| 10 | Anaconda-Deer Lodge County | 0.74% |
| 11 | Miles City | 0.33% |
| 12 | Livingston | 0.26% |
| 13 | Belgrade | 0.19% |
| 14 | Sidney | 0.0% |
| 15 | Whitefish | 0.0% |
