Bozeman is a city located in Gallatin County Montana. Bozeman has a 2023 population of 57,494. It is also the county seat of Gallatin County.Bozeman is currently growing at a rate of 2.67% annually and its population has increased by 8.24% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 53,119 in 2020.
The average household income in Bozeman is $95,595 with a poverty rate of 14.85%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Bozeman is 28.2 years, 27.6 years for males, and 29.3 years for females.
Bozeman’s population has seen steady gains since the census of 1870. The population exceeded 2,000 before the end of the 19th century. The city’s population continued to grow at a steady rate through the 20th century, surpassing 11,000 at the time of the 1950 census. By 1980, the population had nearly doubled. Recent estimates show that the population is up 21.4% since the last census was taken in 2010, indicating that Bozeman is on track to reaching 50,000 residents in the near future.
Indigenous tribes for thousands of years inhabited the area that is now Bozeman. These groups included the Nez Perce, Blackfeet, Shoshone, and Sioux. During the 19th century, the city was visited by William Clark during his expedition. It was later that century in 1863 when John Bozeman and his partner John Jacobs opened the Bozeman Trail off of the Oregon Trail, which went through Virginia City and what would one day be Bozeman.
The town was plotted out and established the next year, and although the Bozeman Trail was closed before the end of the 1860s, the fertile land in the area brought in more settlers. During the same decade, gold miner Nelson Story brought over 1,000 cattle and established a ranch in Paradise Valley. Some of this land was later donated to Montana State University. The town of Bozeman was incorporated in 1883.
Fort Ellis was also established but was decommissioned in 1886. The end of the 19th century brought growth to Bozeman with the addition of a library, a fish hatchery, and Montana State University – Bozeman. The 20th century saw continued growth, including the construction of the first high school, a federal building, and a post office. Canneries in the area were producing canned peas, and at one time, the city was one of the largest producers in the country.
In the 1950s, the city opened up Bridger Bowl, its first ski area. In the 1970s, the Big Sky Ski Resort was established and is still in operation today as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. The Museum of the Rockies was also built in the 1950s, as the city and its population continued to grow. These attractions and the outdoor recreational activities including fishing, kayaking, and mountain climbing have attracted residents and tourists to the area.
The city has continued to grow with the expansion of the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, the quality of life, and employment and educational opportunities.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Bozeman was:
2.76
Average Family Size
2.26
Average Household Size
44.6%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
95.4% of Bozeman residents speak only English, while 4.6% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Asian and Pacific Island languages, which is spoken by 1.84% of the population.
14.85%
Overall Poverty Rate
14.27%
Male Poverty Rate
15.51%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Bozeman is Black, with 40.65% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Bozeman is Native, with 3.15% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.3%. Among those working part-time, it was 27.56%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 17.33%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
36.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
34.7%
Male Marriage Rate
38.1%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
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.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
5.37%
Veteran Poverty Rate
25.17%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
71.5%
Labor Force Participation
69.4%
Employment Rate
2.9%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
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.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
29.11%
Born in Bozeman
90.74%
Native Born
3.82%
Foreign Born
1.89%
Non Citizen
1.93%
Naturalized
90.74% of Bozeman residents were born in the United States, with 29.11% having been born in Montana. 1.89% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.