Russian Population in Montana by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Russian population in Montana totals 7,823, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Leading cities include Billings (1,586), followed by Bozeman (640) and Missoula (624), 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 Russian residents are distributed across Montana''s urban and rural landscape.

Top 5 cities with the largest Russian population in Montana

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  • 1
    Billings
    Russian population in Billings is 1,586
    1.34% of Billings population is Russian
  • 2
    Bozeman
    Russian population in Bozeman is 640
    1.16% of Bozeman population is Russian
  • 3
    Missoula
    Russian population in Missoula is 624
    0.83% of Missoula population is Russian
  • 4
    Laurel
    Russian population in Laurel is 248
    3.45% of Laurel population is Russian
  • 5
    Helena
    Russian population in Helena is 245
    0.74% of Helena population is Russian

Overview of Russian population in Montana

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Montana contains 7,823 Russian residents (0.71% of 1.1 million total state population), positioning the state at the 20th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Russian population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census data records indicate Montana's Russian population of 0.71% exceeds the national average of 0.69% by a factor of 1.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Montana contains 7,823 Russian residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total Russian population of 2.3 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 Russian per square mile, compared to the national average of 0.65 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with minimal demographic representation nationally.
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80 Cities in Montana Ranked by Russian Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Russian population in Montana present in Billings, Bozeman, and Missoula, 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 Russian population count
Rank by Russian Population
City
Russian Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Montana Russian Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Billings 1,586 1.34% 20.27%
2 Bozeman 640 1.16% 8.18%
3 Missoula 624 0.83% 7.98%
4 Laurel 248 3.45% 3.17%
5 Helena 245 0.74% 3.13%
6 Great Falls 243 0.40% 3.11%
7 Kalispell 209 0.78% 2.67%
8 98 3.22% 1.25%
8 98 1.16% 1.25%
9 65 1.04% 0.83%
10 55 0.64% 0.70%
11 46 0.49% 0.59%
12 32 3.53% 0.41%
13 27 1.61% 0.35%
14 25 1.30% 0.32%
14 25 0.78% 0.32%
15 22 1.01% 0.28%
16 21 3.21% 0.27%
17 20 0.24% 0.26%
18 17 2.41% 0.22%
19 16 1.52% 0.20%
20 15 2.76% 0.19%
21 14 0.91% 0.18%
21 14 3.26% 0.18%
22 11 1.29% 0.14%
22 11 0.49% 0.14%
22 11 1.76% 0.14%
23 10 0.64% 0.13%
24 8 0.31% 0.10%
25 7 0.48% 0.09%
25 7 0.27% 0.09%
25 7 1.21% 0.09%
25 7 0.17% 0.09%
25 7 0.66% 0.09%
25 7 0.29% 0.09%
26 5 0.13% 0.06%
26 5 0.16% 0.06%
26 5 0.76% 0.06%
27 4 0.71% 0.05%
27 4 0.76% 0.05%
27 4 0.72% 0.05%
27 4 0.20% 0.05%
28 2 0.13% 0.03%
28 2 0.18% 0.03%
29 1 0.12% 0.01%
29 1 0.10% 0.01%
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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 Russian population, using the most recent ACS data available.

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

How We Ranked the Data

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

Sources

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