State
County
Land Area
44.6 sq mi
Density
2,459.1/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.12%
Growth Since 2010
5.32%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
183,131
Billings is a city located in Montana. With a 2020 population of 109,710, it is the largest city in Montana and the 280th largest city in the United States. Billings is currently growing at a rate of 0.12% annually and its population has increased by 5.32% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 104,170 in 2010. Billings reached it's highest population of 109,797 in 2017. Spanning over 45 miles, Billings has a population density of 2,459 people per square mile.
The average household income in Billings is $78,872 with a poverty rate of 10.00%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $899 per month, and the median house value is $221,100. The median age in Billings is 36.9 years, 35.6 years for males, and 38.3 years for females. For every 100 females there are 93.9 males.
It is the only city in the state with a population of more than 100,000, and it continues to show steady 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.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Billings was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 183,131 | 1,464 | 0.80% |
2019 | 181,667 | 1,464 | 0.81% |
2018 | 180,203 | 838 | 0.47% |
2017 | 179,365 | 1,606 | 0.90% |
2016 | 177,759 | 1,402 | 0.79% |
2015 | 176,357 | 1,405 | 0.80% |
2014 | 174,952 | 1,585 | 0.91% |
2013 | 173,367 | 2,425 | 1.40% |
2012 | 170,942 | 1,925 | 1.13% |
2011 | 169,017 | 1,446 | 0.86% |
2010 | 167,571 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 97,688 | 89.14% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 5,046 | 4.60% |
Two or More Races | 3,802 | 3.47% |
Black or African American | 1,123 | 1.02% |
Asian | 942 | 0.86% |
Some Other Race | 858 | 0.78% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 136 | 0.12% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 46,818 | 2.27 | 63 |
Married | 20,883 | 3.04 | 80.8 |
Non Family | 19,321 | 1.25 | 47.6 |
Female | 4,287 | 2.86 | 50.8 |
Male | 2,327 | 2.84 | 53.4 |
2.91
Average Family Size
2.27
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 1,280 | 1.71% |
9th to 12th Grade | 2,961 | 3.95% |
High School Graduate | 21,222 | 28.34% |
Some College | 17,132 | 22.88% |
Associates Degree | 6,048 | 8.08% |
Bachelors Degree | 17,990 | 24.02% |
Graduate Degree | 8,255 | 11.02% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 66,740 | 63,507 | 24,356 |
Hispanic | 3,279 | 2,674 | 551 |
Native American | 2,616 | 2,285 | 396 |
Multiple Races | 1,399 | 1,370 | 514 |
Asian | 729 | 677 | 346 |
Black | 670 | 616 | 214 |
Other Race | 668 | 556 | 144 |
Islander | 70 | 70 | 8 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100.00%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 47.46%.
$38,884
Average Earnings
$47,099
Average Male
$31,746
Average Female
95.79% of Billings residents speak only English, while 4.21% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 1.83% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 90,863 | 8,670 | 9.54% |
Native | 4,684 | 958 | 20.45% |
Hispanic | 6,679 | 699 | 10.47% |
Multiple | 3,764 | 363 | 9.64% |
Black | 1,055 | 109 | 10.33% |
Asian | 919 | 43 | 4.68% |
Other | 715 | 28 | 3.92% |
10.00%
Overall Poverty Rate
8.94%
Male Poverty Rate
11.01%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Billings is Native, with 20.45% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Billings is Other, with 3.92% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.38%. Among those working part-time, it was 14.75%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 17.86%.
49.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
50.7%
Male Marriage Rate
47.9%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 7,280 | 9.46% |
Indian | 309 | 9.68% |
Hispanic | 177 | 4.26% |
2 or More | 141 | 7.90% |
Asian | 80 | 10.14% |
Other | 47 | 6.63% |
Black | 47 | 5.50% |
7.90%
Veteran Poverty Rate
28.64%
Veteran Disability Rate
67.7%
Labor Force Participation
65.4%
Employment Rate
3.3%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
97.52%
Native Born
2.48%
Foreign Born
0.89%
Non Citizen
1.59%
Naturalized
97.52% of Billings residents were born in the United States, with 56.52% having been born in Montana. 0.89% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 109,710 | 133 | 0.12% |
2019 | 109,577 | 133 | 0.12% |
2018 | 109,444 | -353 | -0.32% |
2017 | 109,797 | 177 | 0.16% |
2016 | 109,620 | 21 | 0.02% |
2015 | 109,599 | 1,165 | 1.07% |
2014 | 108,434 | -127 | -0.12% |
2013 | 108,561 | 1,796 | 1.68% |
2012 | 106,765 | 1,307 | 1.24% |
2011 | 105,458 | 949 | 0.91% |
2010 | 104,509 | 14,662 | 1.52% |
2000 | 89,847 | 8,696 | 1.02% |
1990 | 81,151 | 14,333 | 1.96% |
1980 | 66,818 | 5,237 | 0.82% |
1970 | 61,581 | 8,730 | 1.54% |
1960 | 52,851 | 21,017 | 5.20% |
1950 | 31,834 | 8,573 | 3.19% |
1940 | 23,261 | 6,881 | 3.57% |
1930 | 16,380 | 1,280 | 0.82% |
1920 | 15,100 | 5,069 | 4.17% |
1910 | 10,031 | 6,810 | 12.03% |
1900 | 3,221 | 0.00% |