Lake County Demographics

A map of Lake County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	21,037	20,373	64.6%	65.4%
Native American/Other	6,517	6,761	20.0%	21.7%
Multiracial	3,324	2,630	10.2%	8.4%
Hispanic	1,397	1,168	4.3%	3.8%
Asian	215	138	0.7%	0.4%
Black	71	64	0.2%	0.2%

Lake County, Montana has an estimated population of 32,561, an increase from the 31,134 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 64.6% White, 20.0% Native American/Other, 10.2% Multiracial, 4.3% Hispanic, 0.7% Asian, and 0.2% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Lake County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Lake has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably more diverse than Montana overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Lake County, that probability was 51.6% in 2020 and 53.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Lake County is ranked the 9th most populous county in Montana, out of 56 counties. Lake County was ranked the 9th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Lake County's White Population

21,037 residents of Lake County, or 64.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Lake County is significantly lower than in Montana overall, where 83.6% of the population is White. Lake County ranks 51st statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake County's White population has grown by an estimated 3.3%. White residents' share of Lake County's population has decreased from 65.4% to 64.6%.

Lake County is less White than neighboring Missoula County (85.5% White), Flathead County (90% White), Mineral County (88.9% White), Sanders County (88.3% White), and Powell County (86.8% White).

Lake County's Black Population

71 residents of Lake County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Lake County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 0.4% of the population is Black. Lake County ranks 29th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake County's Black population has grown by an estimated 10.9%. Black residents' share of Lake County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Lake County is less Black than neighboring Missoula County (0.4% Black), and Powell County (0.4% Black).

Lake County's Asian Population

215 residents of Lake County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Lake County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 0.8% of the population is Asian. Lake County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 55.8%. Asian residents' share of Lake County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Lake County is more Asian than neighboring Mineral County (0.3% Asian), and Sanders County (0.5% Asian). Lake County is less Asian than neighboring Missoula County (1.6% Asian), Flathead County (0.8% Asian), and Powell County (1.5% Asian).

Lake County's Hispanic Population

1,397 residents of Lake County, or 4.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Lake County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 4.6% of the population is Hispanic. Lake County ranks 11th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 19.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Lake County's population has increased from 3.8% to 4.3%.

Lake County is more Hispanic than neighboring Flathead County (3.7% Hispanic), Mineral County (3.7% Hispanic), Sanders County (3.5% Hispanic), and Powell County (2.7% Hispanic). Lake County is less Hispanic than neighboring Missoula County (5.1% Hispanic).

Lake County's Native American/Other Population

6,517 residents of Lake County, or 20.0% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Lake County is considerably higher than in Montana overall, where 5.9% of the population is Native American/Other. Lake County ranks 8th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 3.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Lake County's population has decreased from 21.7% to 20.0%.

Lake County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Missoula County (2.5% Native American/Other), Flathead County (1.3% Native American/Other), Mineral County (1.6% Native American/Other), Sanders County (2.7% Native American/Other), and Powell County (5.1% Native American/Other).

Lake County's Multiracial Population

3,324 residents of Lake County, or 10.2% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Lake County is higher than in Montana overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Lake County ranks 1st statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 26.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Lake County's population has increased from 8.4% to 10.2%.

Lake County is more Multiracial than neighboring Missoula County (5% Multiracial), Flathead County (4% Multiracial), Mineral County (5.3% Multiracial), Sanders County (4.8% Multiracial), and Powell County (3.5% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.