City · Montana
Colstrip, Montana
Colstrip, city, in Rosebud County, Montana. Colstrip had 2,091 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,096 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,101 (±286). GEOID 3016525.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,091
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,096 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,101 ±286
Median household income
$82,500
±$51,101 (90% margin)
Montana: $72,509
Median home value
$194,900
±$34,102 (90% margin)
Montana: $375,800
Median gross rent
$659
±$80 (90% margin)
Montana: $1,081
Where is Colstrip and what county is it in?
Colstrip is a city in Rosebud County, Montana. It covers 4.0 square miles of land, 518 residents per square mile in 2020.
Colstrip is the same area as Census Tract 3 of Rosebud County: the tract's figures are Colstrip's own.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Colstrip, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,091 people lived in Colstrip on July 1, 2025, down 0.5% since 2020, while Montana grew 5.6%. The 2020 Census counted 2,096 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,101 (±286).
| Measure | Colstrip | Rosebud County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,101 ±286 | 8,165 | no clear change |
| Households | 802 ±113 | 3,070 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.61 ±0.30 | 2.63 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 940 ±115 | 3,779 | no clear change |
Colstrip's population since 2000
From 2,346 in 2000 to 2,091 in 2025: down 10.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Colstrip as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Colstrip?
The median resident of Colstrip is 44.2 years old; 27.2% are under 18 and 13.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 67.7%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 22.3%.
| Measure | Colstrip | Rosebud County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.2 ±2.5 | 38.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 27.2% ±6.7 pts | 28.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.5% ±4.8 pts | 17.6% | – |
| Male | 48.6% ±5.1 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.2% ±3.8 pts | 3.7% | −7.7 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 67.7% ±10.2 pts | 51.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 2.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 22.3% ±10.3 pts | 36.8% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.8% ±2.0 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.6 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.6% ±0.7 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.2% ±3.8 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 21.3% ±9.5 pts | 12.6% | – |
| With a disability | 13.3% ±4.1 pts | 16.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.2% ±7.5 pts | 16.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.4% ±3.8 pts | 90.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 25.9% ±7.3 pts | 20.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.6% ±3.4 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 97.6% ±1.6 pts | 93.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.1% ±1.5 pts | 1.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Colstrip earn?
Half of Colstrip's 802 households earn less than $82,500 a year (±$51,101), against $49,914 in Rosebud County and $72,509 in Montana. In 2015-2019 it was $106,821 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Colstrip | Rosebud County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,500 ±$51,101 | $49,914 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $109,610 ±$16,204 | $76,442 | – |
| Per capita income | $42,447 ±$5,472 | $29,231 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.4% ±6.9 pts | 24.5% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 16.1% ±14.1 pts | 37.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 13.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.5% ±5.8 pts | 87.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.5% ±6.6 pts | 77.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Colstrip?
Owners occupy 82.8% of Colstrip's occupied homes and renters 17.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $194,900 by its owner (±$34,102). The median renter pays $659 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Colstrip | Rosebud County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $194,900 ±$34,102 | $182,400 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $659 ±$80 | $672 | −$338 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±20.0 pts | 30.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,420 ±$323 | $1,361 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82.8% ±9.3 pts | 63.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 17.2% ±9.3 pts | 36.4% | – |
| Housing units | 940 ±115 | 3,779 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.4% ±3.5 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 26.2% ±23.0 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 47.2% ±10.2 pts | 62.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 31.8% ±10.1 pts | 17.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.1% ±1.4 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.2% ±4.8 pts | 7.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Colstrip building?
Builders took permits for 2 new housing units in Colstrip in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 1.0 per 1,000 residents against 4.6 across Montana.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Colstrip work and get to work?
89.1% of Colstrip's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 10.7 minutes.
| Measure | Colstrip | Rosebud County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 68.6% ±9.7 pts | 58.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.2% ±11.0 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 89.1% ±5.2 pts | 73.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.4% ±4.8 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 1.6% ±2.0 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.6% ±2.9 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 10.7 min ±2.6 | 15.5 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Colstrip?
1 census tract lies mostly in Colstrip, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Colstrip) · Census block assignment files
How does Colstrip compare with other places in Montana?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Colstrip is the 7,527th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 35th-most populous of 127 in Montana.
Colstrip ranks 21st of 90 places in Montana with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 35th | 127 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 38th | 53 |
| Residents per square mile | 64th | 93 |
| Median household income | 21st | 90 |
| Per capita income | 26th | 93 |
| Median home value | 72nd | 89 |
| Median gross rent | 73rd | 82 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44th | 90 |
| Median age | 26th | 93 |
| Owner-occupied share | 15th | 92 |
| Travel time to work | 86th | 93 |
Colstrip's figures with every place in Montana (CSV)
Every place in Montana, sortable · Compare Colstrip with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Colstrip?
24 of the 57 figures for Colstrip on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Colstrip are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Colstrip.