Missoula, Montana Population 2024

79,516

Missoula is a city located in Missoula County Montana. Missoula has a 2024 population of 79,516. It is also the county seat of Missoula County. Missoula is currently growing at a rate of 1.64% annually and its population has increased by 6.88% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 74,394 in 2020.

The average household income in Missoula is $87,064 with a poverty rate of 14.58%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Missoula is 34 years, 33.4 years for males, and 34.5 years for females.

Over 95% of residents at least 25 years old have at least a high school education, while 45.7% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, exceeding both the state and national averages. The city’s largest employers include Missoula County Public Schools, the city’s hospital and the University of Montana.

Missoula Population Growth

Missoula started quite small, with a population of just 400 in 1870. This number decreased further in 1880. However, the community jumped by over 887% in 1890, bringing the population to over 3,400. Though the city never saw growth quite this substantial again, it has seen continuous growth throughout its history. In 1950, the city’s population exceeding 22,000. This number rose to over 57,000 in 2000. Recent estimates show that the population has risen 7.9% since the last census was taken in 2010.

Evidence shows that the area that is now Missoula was first inhabited about 12,000 years ago. In the 18th century, the city was primarily occupied by native tribes including the Shoshone, Blackfeet, and Salish.

The first citizens of the United States came to the area during the expedition of Lewis and Clark of the 19th century, where they camped nearby during their westbound trip and their return. In 1860, Hell Gate Village was established by Frank Worden and Christopher Higgins. It was originally located about five miles west of the current-day downtown area, but the need for a water supply led to relocation just four years later.

Missoula Mills was established in 1866 and was the county seat. Fort Missoula was created during the next decade to offer protection for settlers. The area continued to grow when the Northern Pacific Railway arrived, and during the same year, Missoula was designated as a town. Many sawmills were opened during this period because of the need for lumber to construct bridges and railways. This launched the city’s lumber industry, which was an essential part of the economy through the 20th century.

Logging was a primary industry throughout the mid-20th century with the opening of the Hoerner-Waldorf pulp mill, although the pulp mill severely impacted the air quality. However, the lumber industry was affected by a recession in the 1980s, which led to the city focusing on other sectors.

Today, education and health care are the primary drivers of the economy. The University of Montana is a higher education institution that has been expanded and renovated significantly in recent years. The city’s hospital, St. Patrick Hospital, and Health Sciences Center, was founded in 1873 and has since gone through several expansions.

Missoula Demographics

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

  • White: 87.9%
  • Two or more races: 6.34%
  • Native American: 2.15%
  • Asian: 1.63%
  • Other race: 1.15%
  • Black or African American: 0.72%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.12%
State
Montana
Land Area (mi²)
34.5 sq mi
Density (mi²)
2,307.10/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
6.88% (5,122)
The current population of Missoula, Montana is 79,516 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 74,394.

Missoula, Montana Population 2024

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White65,59487.9%
Two or more races4,7346.34%
Native American1,6022.15%
Asian1,2141.63%
Other race8601.15%
Black or African American5340.72%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander890.12%

White

Two or more races

Native American

Asian

Other race

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Missoula Population by Race

Missoula Population Pyramid 2024

Missoula Median Age

34

Total

33.4

Male

34.5

Female

Missoula Adults

There are 61,984 adults, (10,669 of whom are seniors) in Missoula.

Missoula Age Dependency

45.4

Age Dependency Ratio

20.8

Old Age Dependency Ratio

24.6

Child Dependency Ratio

Missoula Sex Ratio

Female37,94050.84%
Male36,68749.16%

Missoula Population by Age

Missoula Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All32,9442.1846.953.1
Non Family17,4881.4530.469.6
Married11,4082.9773.626.4
Female2,8193.2341.158.9
Male1,2292.6947.452.6

2.89

Average Family Size

2.18

Average Household Size

46.9%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Missoula 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

Missoula Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Missoula Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 51.27%.

Missoula Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$41,633

Average Earnings

$44,500

Average Male

$40,094

Average Female

Missoula Earnings by Educational Attainment

Missoula Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Missoula Language

94.55% of Missoula residents speak only English, while 5.45% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Other Indo-European, which is spoken by 2.16% of the population.

Missoula Language

Missoula Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White62,1208,46513.63%
Multiple4,6091,20726.19%
Native1,49353735.97%
Hispanic3,20141713.03%
Other85411613.58%
Asian1,159554.75%
Black498163.21%

14.58%

Overall Poverty Rate

14.39%

Male Poverty Rate

14.76%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Missoula

The race most likely to be in poverty in Missoula is Native, with 35.97% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Missoula is Black, with 3.21% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.6%. Among those working part-time, it was 23.03%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 24.42%.

Missoula Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade41.41%
Some College13.97%
High School13.11%
Bachelors or Greater5.56%

Missoula Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Male Unemployed59.89%
Female Unemployed42.55%
Female Employed11.33%
Male Employed9.24%

Missoula Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Missoula Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Missoula Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

37.1%

Overall Marriage Rate

39.2%

Male Marriage Rate

35.1%

Female Marriage Rate

Missoula Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Missoula 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 45-54.

Missoula Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Missoula Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

4,347

Number of Veterans

3,903

Male Veterans

444

Female Veterans

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Missoula Veterans by War

count

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Missoula Veterans by Age

count

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Missoula Veterans by Race

Missoula Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

8.67%

Veteran Poverty Rate

28.01%

Veteran Disability Rate

Missoula Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

73.2%

Labor Force Participation

69.8%

Employment Rate

4.6%

Unemployment Rate

Missoula Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Missoula Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Missoula 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

45.73%

Born in Missoula

96.33%

Native Born

3.67%

Foreign Born

1.78%

Non Citizen

1.89%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

96.33% of Missoula residents were born in the United States, with 45.73% having been born in Montana. 1.78% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Missoula Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
202985,9181,2801.51%
202884,6381,2811.54%
202783,3571,2801.56%
202682,0771,2811.59%
202580,7961,2801.61%
202479,5161,2811.64%
202378,2351,2801.66%
202276,9551,5822.1%
202175,3739791.32%
202074,394-1,442-1.9%
201975,8367270.97%
201875,1098571.15%
201774,2521,2951.78%
201672,9571,5372.15%
201571,4201,0901.55%
201470,3307611.09%
201369,5696250.91%
201268,9448221.21%
201168,1226250.93%
201067,49700%
200057,05314,13532.93%
199042,9189,56728.69%
198033,3513,85413.07%
197029,4972,4078.89%
196027,0904,60520.48%
195022,4854,03621.88%
194018,4493,79225.87%
193014,6571,98915.7%
192012,668-201-1.56%
191012,8698,503194.75%
19004,36694027.44%
18903,426-82,492-96.01%
showing: 32 rows

Missoula Population by Year