Yellowstone County, Montana

MT · FIPS 30111 Republican

Located in Montana, Yellowstone County has a population of 168,957 residents and a median age of 39.0 years, making it the #408 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.2%. The median home value is $349,500, and the median household income is $76,570, which is 2% above the national median.

168,957
Population
#408 of 3,222
$76,570
Median Income
+1.9% #744 of 3,222
39.0 years
Median Age
+0.3% #2,390 of 3,222
9.2%
Poverty Rate
-27.0% #614 of 3,222

Demographics

Yellowstone County has a population of 168,957, making it the #408 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.0 years, which is 0.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.1%
Native Born
1.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Yellowstone County is $76,570, ranking #744 out of 3,222 counties — 1.9% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.2% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.

Income#744
$76,570
+1.9%
vs nation
77th percentile
Per Capita#484
$43,898
+6.4%
vs nation
85th percentile
Poverty#614
9.2%
-27.0%
vs nation
81th percentile
Unemployment#901
3.4%
-36.3%
vs nation
72th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Yellowstone County is $349,500 (+24.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,131/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.6%.

Home Value#419
$349,500
+24.0%
vs nation
87th percentile
Rent#656
$1,131
-2.8%
vs nation
80th percentile
Homeownership#2,332
69.6%
+8.1%
vs nation
28th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Yellowstone County, 34.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 1.3% above the national average, ranking #514 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
34.1% +1.3% vs nation
Rank #514 of 3,222
84th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Yellowstone County is 75.9 years. 16.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,312
75.9
+1.0%
vs nation
57th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#803
16.0%
-18.2%
vs nation
75th percentile
Diabetes#210
8.2%
-26.3%
vs nation
93th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,081
35.6%
-4.6%
vs nation
66th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,782
5.7
+1.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#871
4.0
-10.0%
vs nation
72th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,527
9.2%
-12.1%
vs nation
51th percentile
Physical Inactivity#539
21.5%
-18.5%
vs nation
83th percentile
Food Insecurity#396
10.5%
-27.1%
vs nation
87th percentile

Substance Use

17.4% of adults in Yellowstone County smoke , 34.6% are obese , and 24.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 24.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,439
17.4%
-3.1%
vs nation
54th percentile
Adult Obesity#652
34.6%
-8.7%
vs nation
79th percentile
Excessive Drinking#3,025
24.9%
+25.4%
vs nation
4th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#834
24.2
-25.2%
vs nation
61th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Yellowstone County is 4.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 26.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#576
4.7
-40.8%
vs nation
63th percentile
Suicide Rate#2,166
26.4
+33.9%
vs nation
15th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,726
20.7
+15.8%
vs nation
30th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#945
14.8
-26.7%
vs nation
67th percentile

Families & Children

10.4% of children in Yellowstone County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 15.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#426
5.5
-18.7%
vs nation
69th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#944
15.3
-30.1%
vs nation
69th percentile
Child Poverty#375
10.4%
-45.2%
vs nation
88th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Yellowstone County is 69.0%. The mean commute time is 20.5 min, which is 25.8% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
69.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.5 min −25.8% vs nation
Rank #2,769 of 3,222
14th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Yellowstone County voted Republican with a margin of 27.1%. The vote was 34.9% Dem / 62% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +27.1%
34.9% 62%
Dem 81,391 votes Rep
2020 REP +24.0%
36.6% 60.6%
Dem 83,821 votes Rep
2016 REP +27.1%
32.7% 59.8%
Dem 64,675 votes Rep
2012 REP +20.7%
38.3% 59%
Dem 68,561 votes Rep
2008 REP +6.3%
45.5% 51.8%
Dem 70,416 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Yellowstone County, Montana

Yellowstone County, Montana has a total population of 168,957, making it the 408th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Yellowstone County is 39.0 years, which is 0.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Yellowstone County is $76,570, which ranks #744 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 1.9% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.

The median home value in Yellowstone County is $349,500, 24.0% above the national median. Renters in Yellowstone County pay a median gross rent of $1,131 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Yellowstone County, 34.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 1.3% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.5 min.

Yellowstone County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).

All data for Yellowstone County, Montana comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.