1. Cities of the United States
  2. The West
  3. Montana

MONTANA

Billings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339

Butte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

Helena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361

Montana

The State in Brief

Nickname: Treasure State

Motto: Oro y plata (Gold and silver)

Flower: Bitterroot

Bird: Western meadowlark

Area: 147,042 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 4th)

Elevation: Ranges from 1,800 feet to 12,799 feet above sea level

Climate: Continental; heavy snows in the west, hot dry summers in the east

Admitted to Union: November 8, 1889

Capital: Helena

Head Official: Governor Brian Schweitzer (D) (until 2009)

Population

1980: 786,690

1990: 799,065

2000: 902,195

2004 estimate: 926,865

Percent change, 1990–2000: 12.9%

U.S. rank in 2004: 44th

Percent of residents born in state: 56.1% (2000)

Density: 6.2 people per square mile (2000)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 31,948

Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)

White: 817,229

Black or African American: 2,692

American Indian and Alaska Native: 56,068

Asian: 4,691

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 470

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 18,081

Other: 5,315

Age Characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 54,869

Population 5 to 19 years old: 202,571

Percent of population 65 years and over: 13.4%

Median age: 37.5 years (2000)

Vital Statistics

Total number of births (2003): 11,421

Total number of deaths (2003): 8,280 (infant deaths, 79)

AIDS cases reported through 2003: 175

Economy

Major industries: Services, trade, government, agriculture

Unemployment rate: 4.5% (February 2005)

Per capita income: $25,775 (2003; U.S. rank: 45th)

Median household income: $34,375 (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Percentage of persons below poverty level: 14.6% (1999)

Income tax rate: Ranges from 2.0% to 11.0%

Sales tax rate: None