Canadian Population in Montana by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the Canadian population in Montana totals 2,479. Yellowstone County contains the largest Canadian community with 415 residents, followed by Gallatin County (300), Missoula County (268), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in Montana by their Canadian populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.

Top 5 counties with the largest Canadian population in Montana

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  • 1
    Yellowstone County
    Canadian population in Yellowstone County is 415
    0.25% of Yellowstone County population is Canadian
  • 2
    Gallatin County
    Canadian population in Gallatin County is 300
    0.25% of Gallatin County population is Canadian
  • 3
    Missoula County
    Canadian population in Missoula County is 268
    0.22% of Missoula County population is Canadian
  • 4
    Flathead County
    Canadian population in Flathead County is 232
    0.21% of Flathead County population is Canadian
  • 5
    Cascade County
    Canadian population in Cascade County is 190
    0.22% of Cascade County population is Canadian

Overview of Canadian population in Montana

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Montana contains 2,479 Canadian residents (0.22% of 1.1 million total state population), positioning the state at the 25th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Canadian population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census data records indicate Montana's Canadian population of 0.22% exceeds the national average of 0.17% by a factor of 1.3.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Montana contains 2,479 Canadian residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total Canadian population of 569,095, constituting a minimal fraction of the national demographic community relative to the state's overall population size.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey document Montana with 0.017 Canadian Americans per square mile, below the national average of 0.16 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with below-average demographic concentrations nationally.
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55 Counties in Montana Ranked by Canadian Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Canadian population in Montana distributed across multiple counties, led by Yellowstone County, Gallatin County, Missoula County, and Flathead County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans whose ancestry is wholly or partly Canadian. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all counties included in this analysis*.
counties in Montana ranked by Canadian population count
Rank by Canadian Population
County
Canadian Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total Montana Canadian Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Yellowstone County 415 0.25% 16.74%
2 Gallatin County 300 0.25% 12.10%
3 Missoula County 268 0.22% 10.81%
4 Flathead County 232 0.21% 9.36%
5 Cascade County 190 0.22% 7.66%
6 Lake County 120 0.37% 4.84%
7 Phillips County 85 2.01% 3.43%
8 64 1.02% 2.58%
9 60 0.08% 2.42%
10 57 0.49% 2.30%
11 53 0.88% 2.14%
12 50 0.46% 2.02%
13 49 2.39% 1.98%
14 48 0.13% 1.94%
15 47 0.52% 1.90%
16 45 0.60% 1.82%
17 43 0.86% 1.73%
18 42 0.60% 1.69%
19 39 0.24% 1.57%
20 38 0.22% 1.53%
21 26 0.54% 1.05%
22 22 0.05% 0.89%
23 21 0.19% 0.85%
24 20 0.17% 0.81%
25 19 2.26% 0.77%
25 19 0.09% 0.77%
26 15 0.76% 0.61%
27 14 0.11% 0.56%
28 13 0.72% 0.52%
29 12 0.13% 0.48%
30 10 0.14% 0.40%
31 9 0.10% 0.36%
31 9 0.18% 0.36%
32 7 0.05% 0.28%
33 6 0.05% 0.24%
34 2 0.10% 0.08%
34 2 0.10% 0.08%
34 2 0.11% 0.08%
34 2 0.05% 0.08%
35 1 0.01% 0.04%
35 1 0.04% 0.04%
35 1 0.08% 0.04%
35 1 0.03% 0.04%
36 0 - -
36 0 - -
36 0 - -
36 0 - -
36 0 - -
36 0 - -
36 0 - -
36 0 - -
36 0 - -
36 0 - -
36 0 - -
36 0 - -
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks county in Montana by their Canadian population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Canadian population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Canadian ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Canadian alone, while others identify as Canadian along with another race (such as Canadian and German).
  • We’ve used the “Canadian alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Canadian population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Canadian alone or in combination in county. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Canadian .
  2. % of Total Montana Canadian Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Canadian population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Canadian populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • County that don’t have any reported Canadian population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Canadian populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.