The Black community is one of the fastest growing communities in America this decade.
There are now 42 million people who identify as Black or African American living in America, making up 12% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Black population in Montana is 3,948 – at 0.4% of the total population of Montana.
The percentage growth of Blacks in America is the third largest percentage change for any race according to the Census’s race and ethnicity definition. As most scholars and historians agree, an increase in the diversity in America is a good thing.
We agree.
But how has the increase in the black population impacted Montana? Which cities and towns in Montana have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Montana with the largest African American population in 2018:
- Great Falls (Photos)
- Livingston (Photos)
- Billings (Photos)
- Helena (Photos)
- Bozeman (Photos)
- Missoula (Photos)
- Miles City (Photos)
- Anaconda-Deer Lodge County (Photos)
- Kalispell (Photos)
- Lewistown (Photos)
Great Falls took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Montana for 2018. See if it ranked as one of the most african american cities in America.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where Montana ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Black, check out the best places to live in Montana or the most diverse places in Montana.
How We Determined The Cities In Montana With The Largest Black Population For 2018
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the census. So that’s where we went to get the breakdown of race across Montana.
That lead us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2012-2016 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as Black or African American.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 15 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 0.8% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Black population with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. Great Falls took the distinction of being the most Black, while Sidney was the least African American city.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Montana ranked by population of African American residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
1. Great Falls
Population: 59,479% African American: 0.82%
# Of African American Residents: 486
Percent Change Since 2010: -16.21%
More on Great Falls: Data | Jobs
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The 2015 census estimate put the population at 59,638. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County and has a population of 82,278. Great Falls was the largest city in Montana from 1950 to 1970, when Billings surpassed it. Great Falls remained the second largest city in Montana until 2000, when it was passed by Missoula. Since then Great Falls has been the third largest city in the state.
2. Livingston
Population: 7,210% African American: 0.69%
# Of African American Residents: 50
Percent Change Since 2010: inf%
More on Livingston: Data | Jobs
Livingston is a city and the county seat of Park County, Montana, United States. Livingston is located in southwestern Montana, on the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone National Park. The population was 7,044 at the 2010 census.
3. Billings
Population: 109,089% African American: 0.69%
# Of African American Residents: 755
Percent Change Since 2010: 3.99%
More on Billings: Data | Jobs
Billings is the largest city in the state of Montana, and the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area with a population of 166,855. It has a trade area of over half a million people.
4. Helena
Population: 30,102% African American: 0.67%
# Of African American Residents: 201
Percent Change Since 2010: 214.06%
More on Helena: Data | Jobs
Helena is the state capital of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County.
5. Bozeman
Population: 41,761% African American: 0.64%
# Of African American Residents: 269
Percent Change Since 2010: 4.26%
More on Bozeman: Data | Jobs
Bozeman is a city in and the seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. Located in southwest Montana, the 2010 census put Bozeman’s population at 37,280 and by 2016 the population rose to 45,250, making it the fourth largest city in Montana. It is the principal city of the Bozeman, MT Micropolitan Statistical Area, consisting of all of Gallatin County with a population of 97,304. It is the largest Micropolitan Statistical Area in Montana and is the third largest of all of Montana-s statistical areas.
6. Missoula
Population: 70,117% African American: 0.52%
# Of African American Residents: 363
Percent Change Since 2010: 20.6%
More on Missoula: Data | Jobs
Missoula is a city in the U.S. state of Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluences with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five mountain ranges, thus is often described as the “hub of five valleys”. In 2016, the United States Census Bureau estimated the city’s population at 72,364 and the population of the Missoula Metropolitan Area at 116,130. In the 1990s, Missoula overtook GreatFalls as Montana-s secondlargest city, behind Billings. Missoula is home to the University of Montana, a public research university.
7. Miles City
Population: 8,667% African American: 0.46%
# Of African American Residents: 40
Percent Change Since 2010: -28.57%
More on Miles City: Data | Jobs
Miles City is a city in and the county seat of Custer County, Montana, United States. The population was 8,410 at the 2010 census.
8. Anaconda-Deer Lodge County
Population: 9,176% African American: 0.35%
# Of African American Residents: 32
Percent Change Since 2010: -56.76%
More on Anaconda-Deer Lodge County: Data | Jobs
Deer Lodge County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,298. It forms a consolidated city-county government with its county seat of Anaconda. The county was founded in 1865.
9. Kalispell
Population: 21,619% African American: 0.34%
# Of African American Residents: 74
Percent Change Since 2010: 208.33%
More on Kalispell: Data | Jobs
Kalispell is a city in, and the county seat of Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2015 Census estimates put Kalispell’s population at 22,052. The Kalispell Micropolitan Statistical Area has a population of 93,068 and it is the largest city and commercial center of northwest Montana. The name Kalispell is a Salish word meaning “flat land above the lake”. Kalispell is also the gateway to Glacier National Park.
10. Lewistown
Population: 5,868% African American: 0.1%
# Of African American Residents: 6
Percent Change Since 2010: -95.74%
More on Lewistown: Data | Jobs
Lewistown is a city in and the county seat of Fergus County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,901 at the 2010 census. Lewistown is located in central Montana, the geographic center of the state, southeast of Great Falls. First planned in 1882, it was the site of an 1880s gold rush.
There You Have It – Black Populations Across Montana
If you’re looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Montana according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least African American places in Montana:
- Sidney
- Laurel
- Belgrade
For more Montana reading, check out:
- Best College Towns In Montana
- These Are The 10 Best Places To Retire In Montana For 2018
- 10 Worst Places To Live In Montana
Detailed List Of The Most African American Cities In Montana
| Rank | City |
|---|---|
| 1 | Great Falls |
| 2 | Livingston |
| 3 | Billings |
| 4 | Helena |
| 5 | Bozeman |
| 6 | Missoula |
| 7 | Miles City |
| 8 | Anaconda-Deer Lodge County |
| 9 | Kalispell |
| 10 | Lewistown |
| 11 | Havre |
| 12 | Whitefish |
| 13 | Belgrade |
| 14 | Laurel |
| 15 | Sidney |
