Billings, Montana Population 2024

122,715

Billings is a city located in Yellowstone County Montana. Billings has a 2024 population of 122,715. It is also the county seat of Yellowstone County. Billings is currently growing at a rate of 1.14% annually and its population has increased by 4.7% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 117,205 in 2020.

The average household income in Billings is $95,066 with a poverty rate of 11.1%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Billings is 37.7 years, 37 years for males, and 38.6 years for females.

It is the only city in the state with a population of more than 100,000, and it continues to show steady growth.

Billings Population Growth

Billings has experienced rapid growth in its population since its founding. The city’s population was just 145 in 1870 and had jumped to over 3,000 in 1900. At the time of 1910 census, the population exceeded 10,000 people. The city surpassed 50,000 residents at the 1960 census. Growth has continued, with the city reaching more than 100,000 people in 2010. Recent estimates show that the population has grown almost 6% since the last census, indicating that Billings still has a lot of population growth in its future.

Billings has a very long history, with the discovery of artifacts showing that the region has been inhabited since at least 2600 BCE. The first known inhabitants were the Crow Indians, who occupied the area beginning in 1700.

The region was originally known as Clark’s Fork Bottom, which served as a hub for hauling freight. In 1877, settlers formed the town of Coulson, the first town in the Yellowstone Valley. A sawmill, general store, and trading post were opened when the town was established. It began to grow, and so other buildings and tents were erected to keep up with the population.

In its earliest occupied years, Coulson was a Wild West Town - their Sheriff's nickname was "Liver-Eating" Johnson and many arguments ended in gunfire and burial in Boothill Cemetery. The residents hoped the land would be near enough to the tracts of land that the railroad would help them grow as quickly as they intended to. The railroad came to the region shortly after and residents in Coulson believed that it would bring significant growth. However, the railroad company decided to create a new town nearby named Billings. The residents of Coulson eventually moved to the town of Billings, leaving Coulson to become part of Billings in the 1930s eventually. The park known as Coulson Park marks the original area of settlement.

The city of Billings was founded officially in 1882. The town only had three buildings but soon had over 2,000 less than one year after it was established. In the early 20th century, Billings’ population grew to over 10,000. The city was one of the fastest-growing in the U.S - and even earned the nickname - "Magic City" - due to its incredible growth rate. Oil fields were discovered in the state, followed by natural gas and coal reserves made the city a center of energy and boosted the economy.

When World War II ended, the city diversified by becoming the center of finance, medicine, and culture. The population continued to grow. Through the 1970s, Billings continued to be a leader in the energy sector. The city also saw significant growth through its downtown area during this time and through the 1980s, including the construction of Sage Tower and Granite Tower.

Billings continued to expand with the addition of shopping centers, malls, business parks, and hotels through the 1990s. This growth has continued through the 21st century as more business parks are open and the downtown area has been updated with new buildings, a transit center, and parking garages. The economy has also remained strong, making Billings a desirable city for many residents.

Billings Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Billings was:

  • White: 86.87%
  • Two or more races: 5.34%
  • Native American: 4.3%
  • Other race: 1.39%
  • Black or African American: 1.04%
  • Asian: 0.88%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.18%
State
Montana
Land Area (mi²)
44.6 sq mi
Density (mi²)
2,750.60/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
4.7% (5,510)
The current population of Billings, Montana is 122,715 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 117,205.

Billings, Montana Population 2024

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White101,71486.87%
Two or more races6,2565.34%
Native American5,0374.3%
Other race1,6321.39%
Black or African American1,2121.04%
Asian1,0330.88%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander2090.18%

White

Two or more races

Native American

Other race

Black or African American

Asian

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Billings Population by Race

Billings Population Pyramid 2024

Billings Median Age

37.7

Total

37

Male

38.6

Female

Billings Adults

There are 90,543 adults, (21,053 of whom are seniors) in Billings.

Billings Age Dependency

68.5

Age Dependency Ratio

30.3

Old Age Dependency Ratio

38.2

Child Dependency Ratio

Billings Sex Ratio

Female59,18650.55%
Male57,90749.45%

Billings Population by Age

Billings Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All49,2282.3264.835.2
Married21,3433.0885.314.7
Non Family21,0291.2647.752.3
Female4,1373.1856.843.2
Male2,7193.1648.351.7

3.01

Average Family Size

2.32

Average Household Size

64.8%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Billings Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Billings Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Billings Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among asian people with a rate of 100%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 67.18%.

Billings Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$45,389

Average Earnings

$53,471

Average Male

$38,452

Average Female

Billings Earnings by Educational Attainment

Billings Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Billings Language

96.28% of Billings residents speak only English, while 3.72% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 1.46% of the population.

Billings Language

Billings Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White95,8149,2049.61%
Native4,3421,29129.73%
Hispanic8,0271,10213.73%
Multiple6,13386814.15%
Asian1,02431130.37%
Black1,1351018.9%
Other1,539402.6%
Islander20310.49%

11.1%

Overall Poverty Rate

10.57%

Male Poverty Rate

11.63%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Billings

The race most likely to be in poverty in Billings is Asian, with 30.37% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Billings is Islander, with 0.49% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.91%. Among those working part-time, it was 13.6%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 18.09%.

Billings Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade19.16%
High School15.31%
Some College8.2%
Bachelors or Greater4.34%

Billings Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Male Unemployed32.82%
Female Unemployed20.12%
Female Employed6.96%
Male Employed5.35%

Billings Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Billings Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Billings Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

46.9%

Overall Marriage Rate

47.6%

Male Marriage Rate

46.3%

Female Marriage Rate

Billings Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Billings Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Billings Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Billings Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

8,401

Number of Veterans

7,560

Male Veterans

841

Female Veterans

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Billings Veterans by War

count

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Billings Veterans by Age

count

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Billings Veterans by Race

Billings Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

6.41%

Veteran Poverty Rate

33.39%

Veteran Disability Rate

Billings Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

66.5%

Labor Force Participation

64.1%

Employment Rate

3.6%

Unemployment Rate

Billings Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Billings Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Billings Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

58.53%

Born in Billings

97.97%

Native Born

2.03%

Foreign Born

0.87%

Non Citizen

1.15%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

97.97% of Billings residents were born in the United States, with 58.53% having been born in Montana. 0.87% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Billings Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
2029129,6021,3771.07%
2028128,2251,3781.09%
2027126,8471,3771.1%
2026125,4701,3781.11%
2025124,0921,3771.12%
2024122,7151,3781.14%
2023121,3371,3771.15%
2022119,9602,2571.92%
2021117,7034980.42%
2020117,2057,6206.95%
2019109,585950.09%
2018109,490-404-0.37%
2017109,8941790.16%
2016109,715320.03%
2015109,6831,1811.09%
2014108,502-118-0.11%
2013108,6201,8091.69%
2012106,8111,3221.25%
2011105,4899650.92%
2010104,52400%
200089,8478,69610.72%
199081,15114,33321.45%
198066,8185,2378.5%
197061,5818,73016.52%
196052,85121,01766.02%
195031,8348,57336.86%
194023,2616,88142.01%
193016,3801,2808.48%
192015,1005,06950.53%
191010,0316,810211.43%
19003,221-126,381-97.51%
showing: 31 rows

Billings Population by Year