Montana State Facts & Information

As of July 2024, Montana's population is estimated at 1,137,223 people, representing an increase of 5,931 residents from July 2023. Montana's population has grown by over 53,000 people since the 2020 Census, primarily due to residents moving from other states.

Greg Gianforte (Republican) is the 25th Governor of Montana, having first assumed office in 2021. He was re-elected in November 2024, becoming the first Republican governor to serve a second term since 1996. Prior to becoming governor, Gianforte served as Montana's U.S. Representative from 2017 to 2021.

Helena is Montana's state capital, having served in this role since 1875 as territorial capital and since 1889 as state capital. With a 2020 population of 32,091, Helena is the sixth most populous city in Montana. Billings is the state's largest city with a population of 117,116 (2020 census).

Montana's economy has a GDP of approximately $76 billion (2024). The state's economy is primarily based on agriculture (ranching and cereal grain farming), natural resources (oil, gas, coal, mining, and lumber), and tourism. The health care, service, defense, and government sectors are also significant. Tourism is Montana's fastest-growing sector, with 12.6 million annual visitors.

Montana is nicknamed "The Treasure State" due to its rich mineral resources, particularly gold and silver. The state motto "Oro y Plata" (Spanish for "gold and silver") reflects this heritage. Helena, the capital city, was founded as a gold mining camp and by 1888 had about 50 millionaires from gold mining, more per capita than any city in the world at the time.

Montana's official state symbols include the Western Meadowlark (state bird, adopted 1931), the Bitterroot (state flower), the Grizzly Bear (state animal, adopted 1983), the Ponderosa Pine (state tree), the Blackspotted Cutthroat Trout (state fish), and the Huckleberry (state fruit, as of May 2023).

Montana's population is growing, but the growth rate has slowed significantly. The 2024 growth rate of 0.52% ranks 37th among U.S. states and is the lowest since 2002. This marks the first time in over a decade that Montana's population has grown slower than the national average (1%). The state gained 5,931 residents between July 2023 and July 2024, down from 9,934 residents in the prior year.

In 2024, Montana's goods exports totaled $2.4 billion, representing a 53% increase from 2014. Canada is Montana's largest export market, accounting for $869 million (37% of total exports), followed by South Korea ($250 million), Japan ($161 million), Belgium ($98 million), and China ($96 million). Exports account for approximately 3.2% of Montana's GDP.