Citable statement
In ACS 2024, 36,159 people living in Montana reported living in another U.S. state one year earlier (± 4,898), and 35,447 people living in another state reported living in Montana a year earlier (± 4,254), both at 90% margin of error.
ACS 2024 Table T13 · Source, limits and how to cite
Net interstate balance
Montana recorded 712 more arrivals from other states than departures to them (difference ± 6,487, 90% MOE). That balance sits inside its own margin of error, so the table does not establish a net direction.
Newer estimate · Vintage 2025
Montana's population in the year to July 2025
On July 1, 2025, Montana had an estimated 1,144,694 residents, 7,137 more than a year earlier (+0.63%). Ranked by that rate of change, it is 16th of the 50 states and DC.
- Natural change (births minus deaths)−90
- Net international migration+899
- Net domestic migration (other states)+6,348
Net domestic migration (6,348) and net international migration (899) added people, while natural change (90) took them away; the gains were the larger side. Deaths outnumbered births, 11,438 to 11,348. The remaining 20 is the Census Bureau's residual, change the three parts do not explain.
Net domestic migration came to 5.6 per 1,000 residents, 6th among the 50 states and DC. Counting international arrivals too, net migration was 6.4 per 1,000.
Against the April 2020 estimates base of 1,084,221, the 2025 estimate is up 5.6%.
The state-to-state survey could not establish which way Montana's balance with other states ran; the 2025 estimate puts net domestic migration at +6,348.
Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates, released January 2026
Paired directions · Latest ACS
Montana's largest two-way state exchanges
Washington and Montana form the largest measured two-way pair for Montana: 3,631 people arrived from Washington, while 6,291 left for Washington, 9,922 in both directions together.
- Partner
- Washington
- Into Montana
- 3,631
- Out of Montana
- 6,291
- Net direction at 90%
- Not established · Difference 2,660 ± 2,735
- Partner
- California
- Into Montana
- 4,872
- Out of Montana
- 2,531
- Net direction at 90%
- More arrived from California · Difference 2,341 ± 1,816
- Partner
- Arizona
- Into Montana
- 2,330
- Out of Montana
- 4,304
- Net direction at 90%
- Not established · Difference 1,974 ± 2,452
- Partner
- Oregon
- Into Montana
- 1,606
- Out of Montana
- 2,783
- Net direction at 90%
- Not established · Difference 1,177 ± 1,917
- Partner
- Colorado
- Into Montana
- 3,002
- Out of Montana
- 864
- Net direction at 90%
- More arrived from Colorado · Difference 2,138 ± 1,444
2 of these 5 pairs have a directional difference larger than its own 90% margin of error. How the difference is tested.
Next door or across the country?
11% of the arrivals counted in the state-to-state table came from the 4 states sharing a land border with Montana, so most newcomers came from farther away; the largest single source beyond its borders was California (4,872). The largest bordering source was Idaho, with 1,318.
Largest inbound origins
- California → Montana4,872 ± 1,563
- Washington → Montana3,631 ± 1,556
- Colorado → Montana3,002 ± 1,368
- Arizona → Montana2,330 ± 1,157
- Texas → Montana2,147 ± 910
- Alaska → Montana1,767 ± 1,621
- Oregon → Montana1,606 ± 1,198
- Minnesota → Montana1,435 ± 817
- Florida → Montana1,353 ± 942
- Idaho → Montana1,318 ± 693
Largest outbound destinations
- Montana → Washington6,291 ± 2,249
- Montana → Arizona4,304 ± 2,162
- Montana → Oregon2,783 ± 1,497
- Montana → California2,531 ± 925
- Montana → Idaho2,214 ± 1,018
- Montana → North Dakota1,556 ± 1,131
- Montana → New Mexico1,419 ± 1,480
- Montana → Texas1,190 ± 647
- Montana → North Carolina878 ± 515
- Montana → Utah876 ± 582
Ranked corridors out of Montana (1)
- Montana → Washington6,291 ± 2,249
Largest inbound origin: California. Largest outbound destination: Washington.