The local economy of Montana and its counties, metro areas and cities, from official US government data, plus daily local gas prices for the state, its counties and metro areas.
Unemployment rate
3.2%
-0.2 ptsvs a year ago
Counties: lowest Carter County 1.4%, highest Big Horn County 6.2%.
August 2026, seasonally adjusted, preliminary
Average weekly pay
$1,229
+3.5%vs a year ago
506,648 jobs at 63,172 business locations.
Q1 2026, all jobs
New homes permitted
5,457
+7.8%this year vs last year
Most in Gallatin County 1,489, Yellowstone County 999.
Homes in the last 12 months, to August 2026
People moving in
+5,264
+5.9 per 1,000residents
35,634 moved in and 30,370 moved out. Most newcomers came from California.
Net people, 2022 to 2023, the newest year published
Montana gas price
$4.51
+$1.41vs a year ago
Counties: lowest Richland County $4.11, highest Petroleum County $4.99. Counties and metro areas
Regular, per gallon, Montana, October 10, 2026
Newest data: -. Not seasonally adjusted: compare with the same month a year earlier. Click a row for the history of that area.
The state, its counties and metro areas, updated daily. A separate series from the weekly survey prices above.
Business locations, employees and payroll by industry, 2023. Click an industry for its US report.
Business locations
43K
+1.3%vs 2022
2023, places with paid employees
Employees
409K
+2.6%vs 2022
Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance (18.3%).
2023, mid-March
Annual payroll
$21.7B
Wages and salaries paid during the year.
2023, all industries
Average pay
$53,068
Highest sector: Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction $112,730.
Per employee per year
Share of Montana's employees, 2023
| Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 39,569 | $22,627 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 23,817 | $73,825 |
| Traveler Accommodation | 11,659 | $31,740 |
| Grocery Stores | 10,542 | $30,929 |
| Offices of Physicians | 10,105 | $117,144 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries | 8,757 | $28,699 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 8,604 | $68,548 |
| General Merchandise Stores, including Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters | 8,318 | $33,638 |
| Depository Credit Intermediation | 8,017 | $70,709 |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | 6,582 | $37,513 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers | 6,522 | $43,403 |
| Gasoline Stations | 6,321 | $28,972 |
Most values are changed slightly to protect the privacy of single businesses; a few are withheld and shown as a range. Counties and metro areas have the same numbers in the area card above (Industries).
Offered pay in certified work-visa filings, fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025). Click a company for its jobs and salaries.
In fiscal year 2025, employers offered a median of $72,821 a year in 188 certified H-1B filings for jobs in Montana, down 0.6% from 2024 (US: $120,000). The largest job group was Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists. Fiscal year 2026 so far covers filings decided through Jun 30, 2026.
Median offered pay
$72,821
-0.6%vs 2024
Middle half: $54,002 to $100,262.
H-1B, fiscal year 2025
H-1B filings
188
-4.1%vs 2024
266 positions asked for.
Certified, full-time, fiscal year 2025
Top job group
$74,006
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists, 31 filings.
Median offered pay of the largest job group
Green card jobs
$51,376
+80.4%vs 2024
81 PERM filings.
PERM median, fiscal year 2025
Median and middle half of the offers in Montana, next to the US median. Hover a year for the numbers.
| Job group | Filings | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | 31 | $74,006 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | 12 | $52,520 |
| Registered Nurses | 10 | $77,147 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 10 | $42,677 |
| Software Developers | 8 | $137,108 |
| Physicians, All Other | 8 | $367,500 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 7 | $44,340 |
| Civil Engineers | 6 | $81,589 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 5 | $49,987 |
| Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 5 | $75,660 |
| Employer | Filings | Cities |
|---|---|---|
| Montana State University | 27 | 3 |
| Billings Clinic | 11 | 1 |
| University of Montana | 10 | 2 |
| Benefis Health System Inc | 7 | 1 |
| Avant Healthcare Professionals, LLC. | 6 | 2 |
| Northeast Montana Health Services, Inc. | 6 | 2 |
| Powell County Memorial Hospital Association, Inc. | 5 | 1 |
| Northern Montana Health Care, Inc. | 5 | 1 |
| Guardian Healthcare Providers | 4 | 4 |
| Brockton School District 55 & 55F | 4 | 1 |
| City | Filings | Median pay | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman | 34 | $70,172 | $50,071 to $92,130 |
| Billings | 21 | $360,000 | $78,480 to $400,000 |
| Great Falls | 15 | $73,798 | $69,420 to $154,475 |
| Missoula | 12 | $61,070 | $50,773 to $67,542 |
| Helena | 11 | $132,000 | $87,738 to $148,060 |
| Deer Lodge | 8 | $76,003 | $72,800 to $285,006 |
| Havre | 8 | $70,782 | $63,634 to $93,964 |
| Lockwood | 5 | $44,340 | $44,340 to $44,340 |
| Wolf Point | 4 | $93,194 | $88,124 to $94,328 |
| Brockton | 4 | $53,434 | $51,330 to $55,569 |
Yearly pay that employers offered in certified work-visa filings (H-1B, E-3 and PERM green card), from official public data. Pay is the lower end of the offered pay range, for full-time positions only. These are offered pay figures for positions in work-visa filings, not the pay of all employees. A filing is an offer for a position, not a hire, and one person can appear in several filings. Fiscal years run from October to September. Groups with fewer than 3 filings show counts only. Employers are ranked by filings in the cities of Montana added up.
Declared disasters and flood insurance claims: what happened, from official public data.
Montana has had 113 declared disasters and emergencies since 1953, 88 of them since 2000, most often Fire. Flood insurance has paid $19.2 million on 2,220 claims since 1978; the biggest year was 2022 ($7.03 million).
Declared disasters
88
31 major disasters. Most often Fire (68 since 1953).
Since 2000, all types; 113 since 1953
Flood claims paid
$8.62M
307 claims. Biggest year 2022 ($7.03M).
2016 to 2025, flood insurance
Policies in force
3,870
Average premium $879 a year.
2025, flood insurance policies
Most-declared county
16
Missoula County, latest Apr 7, 2026.
Declarations since 2000
Declarations for Montana, 1953 to today
Claims paid in Montana by the year of the flood, US dollars
Declarations since 1953
Declarations naming the county since 2000; statewide ones not counted
All years since 1978; policies are a yearly average. Top 15 of 46.
| # | County | Claims | Paid | Policies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Park County | 141 | $3.29M | 155 |
| 2 | Carbon County | 59 | $2.71M | 95 |
| 3 | Yellowstone County | 272 | $2.28M | 329 |
| 4 | Valley County | 250 | $1.53M | 66 |
| 5 | Stillwater County | 60 | $1.39M | 70 |
| 6 | Musselshell County | 60 | $1.20M | 29 |
| 7 | Missoula County | 172 | $973K | 315 |
| 8 | Cascade County | 257 | $855K | 499 |
| 9 | Flathead County | 132 | $690K | 677 |
| 10 | Lincoln County | 39 | $447K | 82 |
| 11 | Lewis and Clark County | 102 | $432K | 217 |
| 12 | Sweet Grass County | 10 | $419K | 21 |
| 13 | Custer County | 156 | $400K | 1,021 |
| 14 | Gallatin County | 76 | $340K | 406 |
| 15 | Big Horn County | 16 | $245K | 10 |
A declaration opens federal help after a disaster; it can name counties or the whole state. Flood insurance numbers count insured losses only (most homes have no flood insurance) and are not adjusted for inflation; the current year is data so far. For the flood-zone risk of a place, open the area on the real estate map.
Environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports of facilities in Montana, from official public data.
Official public data lists 3,368 facilities in Montana with records since 2010, 3,338 of them with environmental compliance records. In 2022 to 2026, the largest penalties were at Schnitzer Steel Billings in Billings ($1,550,000). 58 large facilities reported 18.1 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2023, up 2.7% from 2022.
Facilities with records
3,368
3,338 with environmental records.
Since 2010
Largest penalties
$1.55M
Schnitzer Steel Billings, Billings.
One facility, 2022 to 2026
Greenhouse gases
18.1M t
+2.7%vs 2022
58 reporting facilities.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
Largest emitter
11.0M t
Ppl Colstrip Steam Electric Station, Colstrip.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
| Facility | Penalties | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| Schnitzer Steel Billings Billings | $1,550,000 | 0 |
| Chs INC Laurel | $69,300 | 5 |
| Browning Lagoon Browning | $40,000 | 2 |
| Belt N&S - Phase 3 Belt | $31,000 | 5 |
| Sapphire Ranch Mine Philipsburg | $23,800 | 10 |
| Yellowstone County/Mdt Small MS-4 Billings | $22,400 | 6 |
| City of Helena WWTP Helena | $20,000 | 7 |
| Albin Farms 31X-31 Girard | $20,000 | 0 |
| West Bank Landing Great Falls | $18,000 | 5 |
| Tamarack Meadows Columbia Falls | $11,750 | 6 |
| Facility | Metric tons CO2e |
|---|---|
| Ppl Colstrip Steam Electric Station Colstrip | 10,967,111 |
| Phillips 66 - Billings Refinery Billings | 967,045 |
| Chs INC Laurel Refinery Laurel | 918,021 |
| Yellowstone Energy Power Plant Billings | 830,005 |
| Par Montana, LLC - Billings Refinery Billings | 719,769 |
| Hardin Generating Station Hardin | 663,072 |
| Ppl Colstrip Rosebud Power Plant Colstrip | 474,565 |
| Great Falls Renewable Diesel Plant Great Falls | 427,371 |
| Dave Gates Generating Station Anaconda | 330,090 |
| Ash Grove Cement CO - Montana City Plant Clancy | 323,958 |
Large facilities in Montana, metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Hover a year for the number.
Official public data on environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports, summarized by facility and year since 2010. A record does not mean a site is unsafe today; penalties and violations vary a lot by industry and size. Penalties are the amounts assessed (after settlements), not amounts paid. Recent years can still change.
Cost, students and graduate earnings of the colleges in the state, from official public data.
The newest unemployment rate, pay, new home permits, moves and gas price for Montana, updated as new official numbers come out.
Unemployment for Montana is seasonally adjusted; for its counties, metro areas and cities it is not, so compare a month with the same month a year earlier. Pay covers all jobs that pay into unemployment insurance. Building permits count homes approved to be built, not homes sold. Moves count households by where they filed their tax returns in two years in a row. Daily gas prices are average pump prices for Montana, its counties and metro areas on the day shown. The weekly gas prices in the explorer come from a separate weekly survey that publishes a price for only some states, so a state without one shows the price of its region there; the two series are never combined.
The unemployment rate in Montana was 3.2% in August 2026 (seasonally adjusted, preliminary), compared with 3.4% a year earlier. 556,375 people were employed out of a labor force of 574,642. Among its counties, Carter County had the lowest rate (1.4%) and Big Horn County the highest (6.2%, not seasonally adjusted).
Average weekly pay in Montana was $1,229 in Q1 2026, up 3.5% from a year earlier, across 506,648 jobs at 63,172 business locations.
Building permits were issued for 634 new homes in Montana in August 2026 (275 single-family and 328 in buildings with 5 or more units). From January to August the total was 3,752, up 7.8% from the same months last year, and 5,457 in the last 12 months. The most homes were permitted in Gallatin County (1,489), Yellowstone County (999), Flathead County (858) over the last 12 months.
Yes. From 2022 to 2023, 35,634 people moved to Montana and 30,370 moved away, a net gain of 5,264 (+5.9 per 1,000 residents). Most newcomers came from California, Washington, Colorado, and most people who left went to Washington, California, Arizona.
Regular gasoline in Montana averaged $4.51 per gallon on October 10, 2026, up $1.41 from a year earlier. Diesel averaged $6.12. Among its counties, Richland County had the lowest regular price ($4.11) and Petroleum County the highest ($4.99).
Health Care and Social Assistance (74,903 employees), Retail Trade (62,888 employees), Accommodation and Food Services (58,010 employees) were the largest sectors in Montana in 2023. In all, 42,566 business locations employed 409,312 people at an average pay of $53,068 a year.
$72,821 a year was the median pay offered in 188 certified H-1B filings for jobs in Montana in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), down 0.6% from 2024. The middle half of the offers ranged from $54,002 to $100,262. The US median was $120,000. These are offered pay figures in work-visa filings, not the pay of all workers.
Montana State University (27), Billings Clinic (11), University of Montana (10), Benefis Health System Inc (7), Avant Healthcare Professionals, LLC. (6) had the most certified H-1B filings for jobs in Montana in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025).
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists (31 filings, median $74,006), Soil and Plant Scientists (12 filings, median $52,520), Registered Nurses (10 filings, median $77,147) were the largest job groups in certified H-1B filings in Montana in fiscal year 2025.
$51,376 a year was the median pay offered in 81 certified PERM green card filings for jobs in Montana in fiscal year 2025.
113 disasters and emergencies have been declared for Montana since 1953, 88 of them since 2000 (31 major disasters). The most common type is Fire (68 declarations).
Missoula County, with 16 declarations since 2000, followed by Stillwater County (14) and Lewis and Clark County (13). Statewide declarations are not counted for single counties.
$19.2 million on 2,220 flood insurance claims since 1978. The biggest year was 2022, with $7.03 million paid on 119 claims. Park County received the most ($3.29 million).
$879 a year in 2025, across 3,870 flood insurance policies in Montana. Most homes have no flood insurance; the premium depends on the home's flood risk and coverage.