Polish Population in Montana by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Polish population in Montana totals 18,909, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Leading cities include Billings (1,994), followed by Missoula (1,480) and Bozeman (1,411), each hosting visible segments of the community. While these urban centers anchor much of the population, the statewide total points to a broader presence in unincorporated areas and smaller towns beyond major city boundaries. The analysis below explores how Polish residents are distributed across Montana''s urban and rural landscape.

Top 5 cities with the largest Polish population in Montana

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  • 1
    Billings
    Polish population in Billings is 1,994
    1.69% of Billings population is Polish
  • 2
    Missoula
    Polish population in Missoula is 1,480
    1.96% of Missoula population is Polish
  • 3
    Bozeman
    Polish population in Bozeman is 1,411
    2.56% of Bozeman population is Polish
  • 4
    Great Falls
    Polish population in Great Falls is 933
    1.54% of Great Falls population is Polish
  • 5
    Helena
    Polish population in Helena is 660
    1.99% of Helena population is Polish

Overview of Polish population in Montana

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey documents Montana with 18,909 Polish residents (1.7% of 1.1 million total state population), ranking the state at the 12th percentile nationally among U.S. jurisdictions for Polish demographic representation.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show Montana's Polish demographic representation of 1.7% remains below the national average of 2.6%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Montana contains 18,909 Polish residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total Polish population of 8.5 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 Polish per square mile, compared to the national average of 2.4 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with minimal demographic representation nationally.
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80 Cities in Montana Ranked by Polish Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Polish population in Montana present in Billings, Missoula, and Bozeman, along with several other incorporated cities reporting non-zero populations. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Montana ranked by Polish population count
Rank by Polish Population
City
Polish Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Montana Polish Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Billings 1,994 1.69% 10.55%
2 Missoula 1,480 1.96% 7.83%
3 Bozeman 1,411 2.56% 7.46%
4 Great Falls 933 1.54% 4.93%
5 Helena 660 1.99% 3.49%
6 Kalispell 417 1.55% 2.21%
7 Whitefish 385 4.57% 2.04%
8 208 1.82% 1.10%
9 168 2.00% 0.89%
10 165 1.91% 0.87%
11 109 6.95% 0.58%
12 106 4.42% 0.56%
13 95 8.25% 0.50%
14 91 1.26% 0.48%
15 89 1.43% 0.47%
16 83 0.89% 0.44%
16 83 1.38% 0.44%
17 81 1.64% 0.43%
18 76 4.00% 0.40%
19 64 1.16% 0.34%
20 63 1.18% 0.33%
21 59 1.22% 0.31%
22 46 4.55% 0.24%
23 45 1.12% 0.24%
24 43 5.06% 0.23%
25 40 2.38% 0.21%
26 38 1.19% 0.20%
27 36 2.35% 0.19%
27 36 1.19% 0.19%
27 36 1.66% 0.19%
28 33 1.54% 0.17%
29 31 5.04% 0.16%
30 29 5.52% 0.15%
30 29 4.12% 0.15%
31 28 1.92% 0.15%
31 28 1.30% 0.15%
31 28 1.43% 0.15%
31 28 0.89% 0.15%
32 25 1.30% 0.13%
33 23 1.17% 0.12%
34 22 0.72% 0.12%
35 20 0.68% 0.11%
36 18 3.11% 0.10%
37 16 1.90% 0.08%
38 13 0.78% 0.07%
38 13 3.02% 0.07%
39 12 0.78% 0.06%
39 12 0.47% 0.06%
39 12 0.60% 0.06%
40 11 1.40% 0.06%
41 10 1.84% 0.05%
41 10 1.01% 0.05%
42 9 0.85% 0.05%
43 8 1.22% 0.04%
44 7 1.23% 0.04%
45 5 0.54% 0.03%
45 5 0.80% 0.03%
46 4 0.30% 0.02%
46 4 0.18% 0.02%
46 4 0.15% 0.02%
47 3 0.20% 0.02%
47 3 0.49% 0.02%
47 3 0.46% 0.02%
48 2 0.36% 0.01%
48 2 0.30% 0.01%
49 1 0.06% 0.01%
50 0 - -
50 0 - -
50 0 - -
50 0 - -
50 0 - -
50 0 - -
50 0 - -
50 0 - -
50 0 - -
50 0 - -
50 0 - -
50 0 - -
50 0 - -
50 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 city in Montana by their Polish population, using the most recent ACS data available.

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

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Polish alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Polish .
  2. % of Total Montana Polish Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Polish 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 Polish 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.
  • City that don’t have any reported Polish 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 Polish populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

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