Chinese Population in Montana by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, Montana is home to 3,550 Chinese residents. Gallatin County contains the largest Chinese community with 1,175 individuals, followed by Yellowstone County (613), Missoula County (501), and several other counties contributing to this statewide total. The remaining difference may reflect Chinese populations in lower-population counties not listed above or minor reporting adjustments in the census data. This demographic breakdown ranks all counties in Montana by their Chinese population, offering insights into community patterns across the state.

Top 5 counties with the largest Chinese population in Montana

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  • 1
    Gallatin County
    Chinese population in Gallatin County is 1,175
    0.96% of Gallatin County population is Chinese
  • 2
    Yellowstone County
    Chinese population in Yellowstone County is 613
    0.37% of Yellowstone County population is Chinese
  • 3
    Missoula County
    Chinese population in Missoula County is 501
    0.42% of Missoula County population is Chinese
  • 4
    Flathead County
    Chinese population in Flathead County is 328
    0.30% of Flathead County population is Chinese
  • 5
    Cascade County
    Chinese population in Cascade County is 252
    0.30% of Cascade County population is Chinese

Overview of Chinese population in Montana

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Montana contains 3,550 Chinese residents (0.32% of 1.1 million total state population), positioning the state at the 12th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Chinese population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show Montana's Chinese demographic representation of 0.32% remains below the national average of 1.6%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Montana contains 3,550 Chinese residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total Chinese population of 5.4 million, 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 data indicate Montana maintains fewer than 1 Chinese per square mile, compared to the national average of 1.5 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with minimal demographic representation nationally.
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55 Counties in Montana Ranked by Chinese Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Chinese population in Montana distributed across multiple counties, led by Gallatin County, Yellowstone County, Missoula County, and Flathead County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans of Chinese ancestry. 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 Chinese population count
Rank by Chinese Population
County
Chinese Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total Montana Chinese Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Gallatin County 1,175 0.96% 33.10%
2 Yellowstone County 613 0.37% 17.27%
3 Missoula County 501 0.42% 14.11%
4 Flathead County 328 0.30% 9.24%
5 Cascade County 252 0.30% 7.10%
6 Lewis and Clark County 77 0.11% 2.17%
7 Lincoln County 70 0.34% 1.97%
8 54 0.77% 1.52%
9 51 0.31% 1.44%
10 47 0.27% 1.32%
11 36 0.10% 1.01%
12 31 0.42% 0.87%
12 31 0.34% 0.87%
13 30 0.09% 0.85%
14 29 0.24% 0.82%
14 29 0.57% 0.82%
15 25 0.30% 0.70%
16 24 0.05% 0.68%
17 21 0.17% 0.59%
18 18 0.53% 0.51%
18 18 0.17% 0.51%
19 17 0.34% 0.48%
20 10 0.16% 0.28%
21 9 0.09% 0.25%
22 8 0.06% 0.23%
23 7 0.08% 0.20%
24 5 0.14% 0.14%
24 5 0.07% 0.14%
25 4 0.04% 0.11%
26 3 0.05% 0.08%
27 2 0.13% 0.06%
27 2 0.02% 0.06%
28 1 0.01% 0.03%
28 1 0.09% 0.03%
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 0 - -
29 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 Chinese population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Chinese 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 Chinese 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 Chinese alone, while others identify as Chinese along with another race (such as Chinese and German).
  • We’ve used the “Chinese alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Chinese population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Chinese 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 Chinese .
  2. % of Total Montana Chinese Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Chinese 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 Chinese 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 Chinese 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 Chinese populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

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