Musselshell County Demographics

A map of Musselshell County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	4,464	4,274	86.6%	90.4%
Native American/Other	297	104	5.8%	2.2%
Hispanic	221	146	4.3%	3.1%
Multiracial	170	180	3.3%	3.8%
Black	0	4	0.0%	0.1%
Asian	0	22	0.0%	0.5%

Musselshell County, Montana has an estimated population of 5,152, an increase from the 4,730 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 86.6% White, 5.8% Native American/Other, 4.3% Hispanic, 3.3% Multiracial, 0.0% Black, and 0.0% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Musselshell County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Musselshell has become considerably more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less 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 Musselshell County, that probability was 18.1% in 2020 and 24.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Musselshell County is ranked the 35th most populous county in Montana, out of 56 counties. Musselshell County was ranked the 36th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Musselshell County's White Population

4,464 residents of Musselshell County, or 86.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Musselshell County is slightly higher than in Montana overall, where 83.6% of the population is White. Musselshell County ranks 21st statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Musselshell County's White population has grown by an estimated 4.4%. White residents' share of Musselshell County's population has decreased from 90.4% to 86.6%.

Musselshell County is more White than neighboring Yellowstone County (83.4% White). Musselshell County is less White than neighboring Petroleum County (98.9% White), Golden Valley County (90.3% White), Fergus County (92.4% White), and Treasure County (93% White).

Musselshell County's Black Population

0 residents of Musselshell County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Musselshell County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 0.4% of the population is Black. Musselshell County ranks 48th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Musselshell County's Black population has declined by an estimated 100.0%. Black residents' share of Musselshell County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.0%.

Musselshell County is less Black than neighboring Yellowstone County (0.4% Black), Golden Valley County (0.8% Black), and Fergus County (0.6% Black).

Musselshell County's Asian Population

0 residents of Musselshell County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Musselshell County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 0.8% of the population is Asian. Musselshell County ranks 16th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Musselshell County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 100.0%. Asian residents' share of Musselshell County's population has decreased from 0.5% to 0.0%.

Musselshell County is less Asian than neighboring Yellowstone County (0.7% Asian), Petroleum County (0.7% Asian), Fergus County (0.7% Asian), and Treasure County (1% Asian).

Musselshell County's Hispanic Population

221 residents of Musselshell County, or 4.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Musselshell County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 4.6% of the population is Hispanic. Musselshell County ranks 19th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Musselshell County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 51.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Musselshell County's population has increased from 3.1% to 4.3%.

Musselshell County is more Hispanic than neighboring Petroleum County (0% Hispanic), and Fergus County (2.4% Hispanic). Musselshell County is less Hispanic than neighboring Yellowstone County (6.6% Hispanic), and Treasure County (5.2% Hispanic).

Musselshell County's Native American/Other Population

297 residents of Musselshell County, or 5.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Musselshell County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 5.9% of the population is Native American/Other. Musselshell County ranks 23rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Musselshell County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 185.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Musselshell County's population has increased from 2.2% to 5.8%.

Musselshell County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Yellowstone County (4.1% Native American/Other), Petroleum County (0.4% Native American/Other), Golden Valley County (0.8% Native American/Other), Fergus County (2.1% Native American/Other), and Treasure County (0.1% Native American/Other).

Musselshell County's Multiracial Population

170 residents of Musselshell County, or 3.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Musselshell County is comparable to the share in Montana overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Musselshell County ranks 40th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 56 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Musselshell County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 5.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Musselshell County's population has decreased from 3.8% to 3.3%.

Musselshell County is more Multiracial than neighboring Petroleum County (0% Multiracial), Fergus County (1.9% Multiracial), and Treasure County (0.7% Multiracial). Musselshell County is less Multiracial than neighboring Yellowstone County (4.7% Multiracial), and Golden Valley County (3.8% 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.