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Yellowstone County, Montana

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Yellowstone County, Montana
County
The Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings in 2024
The Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings in 2024
Official seal of Yellowstone County, Montana
Seal
Map of Montana highlighting Yellowstone County
Location within the U.S. state of Montana
Coordinates: 45°56′13″N 108°16′36″W / 45.9370°N 108.2767°W / 45.9370; -108.2767
Country United States
State Montana
FoundedFebruary 26, 1883 (created)
May 1, 1883 (organized)
Named afterYellowstone River
SeatBillings
Largest cityBillings
Area
 • Total
2,649.035 sq mi (6,860.97 km2)
 • Land2,633.402 sq mi (6,820.48 km2)
 • Water15.633 sq mi (40.49 km2)  0.59%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
164,731
 • Estimate 
(2025)
172,692 Increase
 • Density62.5544/sq mi (24.1524/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Area code406
Congressional district2nd
Websiteyellowstonecountymt.gov
• Montana county alphabet number 56
• Montana license plate prefix 03[1]

Yellowstone County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 164,731,[2] and was estimated to be 172,692 in 2025,[3] making it the most populous county in Montana. The county seat and the largest city is Billings,[4] the most populous city in Montana and the 253rd-most populous city in the United States. It contains over 15.09% of the state's population.[5] Like the nearby national park, Yellowstone County is named after the Yellowstone River which roughly bisects the county, flowing southwest to northeast.[6] The river, in turn, was named for the yellow sandstone cliffs in what is now Yellowstone County.[7]

Yellowstone County is part of the Billings metropolitan area, which comprises all of Carbon, Stillwater, and Yellowstone Counties.

History

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Yellowstone County was created on February 26, 1883 and organized on May 1, 1883.[8]

Geography

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,649.035 square miles (6,860.97 km2), of which 2,633.402 square miles (6,820.48 km2) is land and 15.633 square miles (40.49 km2) (0.59%) is water.[9] It is the 23rd largest county in Montana by total area.[10]

Major highways

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Transit

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Adjacent counties

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National protected areas

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18902,065—
19006,212200.8%
191022,944269.3%
192029,60029.0%
193030,7854.0%
194041,18233.8%
195055,87535.7%
196079,01641.4%
197087,36710.6%
1980108,03523.7%
1990113,4195.0%
2000129,35214.0%
2010147,97214.4%
2020164,73111.3%
2025 (est.)172,692[11]4.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14]
1990–2000[15] 2010–2020[3]

As of the fourth quarter of 2025, the median home value in Yellowstone County was $386,158.[16]

As of the 2024 American Community Survey, there are 70,714 estimated households in Yellowstone County with an average of 2.37 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $76,858. Approximately 7.9% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Yellowstone County has an estimated 63.7% employment rate, with 32.2% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 93.8% holding a high school diploma.[3] There were 75,777 housing units at an average density of 28.78 per square mile (11.1/km2).

The median age in the county was 40.2 years.

Yellowstone County, Montana – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) Pop. 1980[17] Pop. 1990[18] Pop. 2000[19] Pop. 2010[20] Pop. 2020[21] Pop. 2024[22]
White alone (NH) 102,178
(94.58%)		 106,068
(93.52%)		 117,698
(90.99%)		 130,463
(88.17%)		 136,514
(82.87%)		 144,651
(84.30%)
Black or African American alone (NH) 269
0.25%)		 465
0.41%)		 542
0.42%)		 852
(0.58%)		 1,187
(0.72%)		 1,031
(0.60%)
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 2,268
2.10%)		 3,086
2.72%)		 3,676
2.84%)		 5,377
(3.63%)		 6,546
(3.97%)		 7,255
(4.23%)
Asian alone (NH) 372
(0.34%)		 604
(0.53%)		 666
(0.51%)		 915
(0.62%)		 1,279
(0.78%)		 1,290
(0.75%)
Pacific Islander alone (NH) — — 54
(0.04%)		 104
(0.07%)		 211
(0.13%)		 135
(0.08%)
Other race alone (NH) 57
(0.05%)		 38
(0.03%)		 66
(0.05%)		 84
(0.06%)		 576
(0.35%)		 —
Mixed race or multiracial (NH) — — 1,862
(1.44%)		 3,222
(2.18%)		 8,303
(5.04%)		 5,130
(2.99%)
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2,891
(2.68%)		 3,158
(2.78%)		 4,788
(3.70%)		 6,955
(4.70%)		 10,115
(6.14%)		 12,091
(7.05%)
Total 108,035
(100.00%)		 113,419
(100.00%)		 129,352
(100.00%)		 147,972
(100.00%)		 164,731
(100.00%)		 171,583
(100.00%)

2024 estimate

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As of the 2024 estimate, there were 171,583 people, 70,714 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was 65.16 inhabitants per square mile (25.2/km2). There were 75,777 housing units at an average density of 28.78 per square mile (11.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.60% White, 0.68% African American, 5.36% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 3.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 7.05% of the population.

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, there were 164,731 people, 67,578 households, and 42,022 families residing in the county.[23] The population density was 62.55 inhabitants per square mile (24.2/km2). There were 71,804 housing units at an average density of 27.27 inhabitants per square mile (10.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.97% White, 0.79% African American, 4.39% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 1.72% from some other races and 7.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.14% of the population.[24]

There were 67,578 households in the county, of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Of the residents, 23.2% were under the age of 18 and 17.8% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 38.8 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.9 males. Among occupied housing units, 66.3% were owner-occupied and 33.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.

2010 census

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As of the 2010 census, there were 147,972 people, 60,672 households, and 38,367 families residing in the county.[25] The population density was 56.19 inhabitants per square mile (21.7/km2). There were 63,943 housing units at an average density of 24.28 inhabitants per square mile (9.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.71% White, 0.63% African American, 3.97% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.19% from some other races and 2.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.70% of the population.

In terms of ancestry, 32.4% were German, 14.0% were Irish, 11.3% were English, 10.0% were American, and 9.9% were Norwegian.

Of the 60,672 households, 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.8% were non-families, and 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 38.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,641 and the median income for a family was $62,380. Males had a median income of $42,899 versus $30,403 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,152. About 7.9% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

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Yellowstone County is very conservative for an urban county. Its voters have been reliably Republican for the better part of a century. Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 landslide was the last time that the county voted for a Democratic candidate.

United States presidential election results for Yellowstone County, Montana[26][27][28]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1892 479 53.88% 369 41.51% 41 4.61%
1896 429 42.52% 575 56.99% 5 0.50%
1900 816 54.51% 654 43.69% 27 1.80%
1904 1,249 70.41% 436 24.58% 89 5.02%
1908 1,803 56.61% 1,114 34.98% 268 8.41%
1912 1,004 26.23% 1,193 31.17% 1,631 42.61%
1916 3,281 42.06% 4,259 54.60% 261 3.35%
1920 5,714 65.08% 2,782 31.69% 284 3.23%
1924 4,715 55.91% 1,172 13.90% 2,546 30.19%
1928 6,904 68.08% 3,205 31.60% 32 0.32%
1932 5,386 46.90% 5,777 50.31% 320 2.79%
1936 5,193 37.05% 8,575 61.18% 248 1.77%
1940 8,479 48.03% 9,036 51.18% 140 0.79%
1944 8,706 51.44% 8,140 48.09% 79 0.47%
1948 10,342 50.74% 9,718 47.67% 324 1.59%
1952 17,556 66.61% 8,750 33.20% 51 0.19%
1956 18,664 64.91% 10,088 35.09% 0 0.00%
1960 19,467 60.82% 12,356 38.61% 183 0.57%
1964 15,571 46.85% 17,446 52.49% 222 0.67%
1968 19,898 58.77% 11,682 34.50% 2,277 6.73%
1972 25,205 62.64% 13,602 33.80% 1,430 3.55%
1976 25,201 57.11% 18,329 41.54% 595 1.35%
1980 27,332 56.57% 15,272 31.61% 5,709 11.82%
1984 34,124 63.01% 19,437 35.89% 592 1.09%
1988 28,069 55.42% 21,987 43.41% 591 1.17%
1992 22,822 40.43% 20,163 35.72% 13,465 23.85%
1996 26,367 47.18% 22,992 41.14% 6,523 11.67%
2000 33,922 59.00% 20,370 35.43% 3,207 5.58%
2004 40,903 61.71% 24,120 36.39% 1,263 1.91%
2008 36,483 51.62% 32,038 45.33% 2,158 3.05%
2012 40,500 58.86% 26,403 38.37% 1,904 2.77%
2016 40,920 58.05% 22,171 31.45% 7,395 10.49%
2020 50,772 60.57% 30,679 36.60% 2,370 2.83%
2024 50,460 62.00% 28,392 34.88% 2,541 3.12%

Communities

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Cities

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Town

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Census-designated places

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Other unincorporated communities

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Ghost towns

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Education

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School districts include:[35]

K-12 (unified):

High school districts:[35]

Elementary school districts:[35]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Montana County Seats & Corresponding License Plate Numbers". Montana Association of Counties. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  2. ^ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Yellowstone County, Montana". www.census.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  5. ^ Based on the 2025 Estimate: 172,692 / 1,144,694 (MT pop.) = 15.09%
  6. ^ "Montana Digital Atlas". Montana State Library. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  7. ^ Macdonald, Jim. "History of Yellowstone as a Place Name". The Magic of Yellowstone. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  8. ^ "Montana: Individual County Chronologies". publications.newberry.org. The Newberry Library. 2005. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  9. ^ "2025 County Gazetteer Files – Montana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  10. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Yellowstone County, Montana". www.census.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  11. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  12. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  13. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. 2007. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  14. ^ Forstall, Richard L. (April 20, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 19, 1999. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  15. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  16. ^ "County Median Home Price". National Association of Realtors. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  17. ^ "Yellowstone County, Montana — Population by Race". CensusScope. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  18. ^ "1990 Census of Population: General Population Characteristics Montana" (PDF). www.census.gov. October 6, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  19. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Yellowstone County, Montana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  20. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Yellowstone County, Montana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  21. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Yellowstone County, Montana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  22. ^ "County Population by Characteristics: 2020-2024". www.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  23. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  24. ^ "How many people live in Yellowstone County, Montana". USA Today. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  25. ^ "Nebraska: 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. November 2012. p. 108 of 207. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  26. ^ Leip, David. "2024 Presidential General Election Results". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  27. ^ Stapleton, Corey (November 3, 2020). "2020 Statewide General Election Canvass" (PDF). Secretary of State of Montana. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  28. ^ Stapleton, Corey (November 3, 2020). "2020 Statewide General Election Canvass Abstract of Write-In Votes" (PDF). Secretary of State of Montana. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  29. ^ "Anita · Montana 59006". Anita · Montana 59006. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  30. ^ "Billings Heights · Montana 59105". Billings Heights · Montana 59105. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  31. ^ "Bull Mountain · Montana 59064". Bull Mountain · Montana 59064. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  32. ^ "Indian Arrow · Montana 59037". Indian Arrow · Montana 59037. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  33. ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  34. ^ "Yegen · Montana 59106". Yegen · Montana 59106. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  35. ^ a b c 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Yellowstone County, MT (PDF) (Map). United States Census Bureau. January 14, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2026. - Text list
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