Population 168,957 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Yellowstone County
Household size in Yellowstone County
| Period | Yellowstone County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.42 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.42 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.00 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
The average household in Yellowstone County has 2.42 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. The picture is much the same across Montana. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Yellowstone County
| Period | Yellowstone County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.8 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.5 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.0 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.4 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.6 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Yellowstone County are younger than 39.4 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in Montana as a whole, where the median age is 41.5. The median age has crept up from 38.8 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Yellowstone County
| Period | Yellowstone County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Yellowstone County (10.1%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Still, single parents are more common here than in Montana as a whole (8.8%). Yellowstone County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Montana counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Yellowstone County
Renters in Yellowstone County
| Period | Yellowstone County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.7% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.5% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.6% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.4% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Yellowstone County own their homes; 30.4% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 40.7% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northeast. The renter share has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Yellowstone County
| Period | Yellowstone County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.9% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Yellowstone County than nationally: 7.0%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy is up 1.3 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Only one other Montana county has a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Yellowstone County
| Period | Yellowstone County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +7 | +6 |
The typical home in Yellowstone County was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The median year built has moved up from 1976 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Yellowstone County
| Period | Yellowstone County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $742 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $881 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $984 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,287 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$544 | +$487 | +$606 |
Rent in Yellowstone County runs $1,287 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in Montana overall ($1,189). Rent has climbed $544 a month since 2006–10, up 73%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 30.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Yellowstone County
Bachelor's degrees in Yellowstone County
| Period | Yellowstone County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.1% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.2% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.0% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 33.6% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
About a third of adults 25 and older in Yellowstone County (33.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 3.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Yellowstone County
| Period | Yellowstone County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.7% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.5% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.1% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.4% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Yellowstone County: 95.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Montana. The share with a diploma has risen 3.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Yellowstone County
| Period | Yellowstone County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Yellowstone County than nationally: unemployment was 3.4%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has edged down 0.7 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Yellowstone County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone County | 2.42 | 39.4 | 10.1% | 30.4% | 7.0% | 1983 | $1,287 | 33.6% | 95.4% | 3.4% |
| Stillwater County | 2.43 | 46.6 | 5.0% | 17.1% | 15.5% | 1986 | $1,036 | 31.9% | 95.4% | 3.0% |
| Sweet Grass County | 2.44 | 46.6 | 7.7% | 20.3% | 16.2% | 1979 | $1,218 | 24.4% | 97.4% | 1.9% |
| Park County | 2.15 | 46.7 | 10.3% | 30.6% | 11.2% | 1977 | $1,205 | 39.5% | 96.1% | 2.6% |
| Gallatin County | 2.36 | 36.0 | 5.7% | 38.9% | 10.0% | 1996 | $1,744 | 54.6% | 97.2% | 2.4% |
| Carter County | 2.14 | 57.0 | 1.9% | 37.8% | 27.7% | 1976 | $773 | 20.7% | 93.7% | 3.6% |
| Harding County | 2.22 | 46.3 | 4.0% | 23.5% | 27.6% | 1973 | $521 | 30.4% | 93.8% | 0.9% |
| Perkins County | 2.23 | 45.3 | 9.2% | 21.6% | 25.0% | 1966 | $776 | 25.2% | 94.9% | 4.8% |
| Corson County | 3.48 | 29.4 | 28.7% | 40.9% | 16.2% | 1974 | $521 | 18.3% | 85.3% | 26.2% |
| Campbell County | 2.12 | 50.2 | 0.7% | 23.7% | 16.1% | 1961 | $969 | 36.0% | 91.9% | 3.1% |
| McPherson County | 2.09 | 49.4 | 5.1% | 18.7% | 24.2% | 1964 | $637 | 27.4% | 83.8% | 1.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Portage County, OH · Kenosha County, WI · Kent County, RI · Kenton County, KY · Kootenai County, ID · Aiken County, SC · Madera County, CA · Maui County, HI · McLean County, IL · Midland County, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Yellowstone County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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