Montana statistical areas
The U.S. State of Montana currently has seven statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). On July 21, 2023, the OMB delineated five metropolitan statistical areas and two micropolitan statistical areas in Montana.[1] As of 2025, the largest of these is the Billings, MT MSA, comprising the area surrounding Montana's largest city of Billings.
Statistical areas
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has designated more than 1,000 statistical areas for the United States and Puerto Rico.[2] These statistical areas are important geographic delineations of population clusters used by the OMB, the United States Census Bureau, planning organizations, and federal, state, and local government entities.
The OMB defines a core-based statistical area (CBSA) as the county or counties (or county-equivalents) surrounding at least one densely-settled core of at least 10,000 population,[2] "plus adjacent counties having a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured through commuting ties with the counties containing the core".[2] The OMB further divides a CBSA based on population into a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) for those with at least 50,000 people or a micropolitan statistical area (μSA) for those with 10,000 to 49,999 people.[2]
The OMB defines a combined statistical area (CSA) as two or more adjacent CBSAs where the employment interchange rate (percent commuting from A to B plus percent commuting from B to A) is at least 15%.[2] A primary statistical area (PSA) includes all CSAs and any CBSA that is not a constituent of a combined statistical area.
| 2025 rank | Core-based statistical area[1] | Population | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 estimate[3] | Change | 2020 Census[4] | Change | 2010 Census[5] | ||
| 1 | Billings, MT MSA | 193,603 | +5.12% | 184,167 | +10.17% | 167,167 |
| 2 | Bozeman, MT MSA | 128,740 | +8.22% | 118,960 | +32.90% | 89,513 |
| 3 | Missoula, MT MSA | 128,698 | +5.10% | 122,457 | +7.87% | 113,522 |
| 4 | Kalispell, MT μSA | 115,429 | +10.61% | 104,357 | +14.77% | 90,928 |
| 5 | Helena, MT MSA | 97,153 | +8.15% | 89,832 | +11.71% | 80,413 |
| 6 | Great Falls, MT MSA | 85,029 | +0.73% | 84,414 | +3.80% | 81,327 |
| 7 | Butte-Silver Bow, MT μSA | 36,118 | +2.80% | 35,133 | +2.73% | 34,200 |
See also
Notes
References
- 1 2 3 Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas (July 21, 2023). "OMB BULLETIN NO. 23-01" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - 1 2 3 4 5 "2020 Standards for Delineating Core Based Statistical Areas". Office of Management and Budget. July 16, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- 1 2 3 "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. July 2025. Retrieved Jun 24, 2026.
- ↑ "PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". U.S. Census Bureau. 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
- ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019". U.S. Census Bureau. 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
