This is the first in an E-City Beat series on local NPOs.
We start with a comparison of the seven most populous Montana counties, ranked by nonprofit‑to‑population ratio, using the following sourced data.
- Population (2026 estimates) from Montana Counties by Population (2026) montana-demographics.com
- Nonprofit counts from Montana Nonprofit Organizations by County (organization count column) TaxExemptWorld
Nonprofit Density in Montana’s 7 Most Populous Counties
Ranked by NPOs per 1,000 residents
1. Cascade County
- Population: 84,319 montana-demographics.com
- Nonprofits: 1,115 TaxExemptWorld
- Ratio: 13.22 NPOs per 1,000 residents
Cascade has the highest nonprofit density among major counties.
2. Yellowstone County
- Population: 173,295 World Population Review
- Nonprofits: 2,040 TaxExemptWorld
- Ratio: 11.77 NPOs per 1,000 residents
3. Gallatin County
- Population: 129,094 World Population Review
- Nonprofits: 1,702 TaxExemptWorld
- Ratio: 13.18 NPOs per 1,000 residents
Gallatin is extremely close to Cascade in density.
4. Missoula County
- Population: 124,294 World Population Review
- Nonprofit count not listed in the available county‑level dataset.
Because the source does not provide Missoula’s nonprofit count, it cannot be ranked accurately.
5. Flathead County
- Population: 116,591 World Population Review
- Nonprofit count not listed in the available dataset.
6. Lewis and Clark County
- Population: 75,763 World Population Review
- Nonprofit count not listed in the available dataset.
7. Ravalli County
- Population: 49,041 World Population Review
- Nonprofit count not listed in the available dataset.
Summary Table For Top Three
| County | Population | Nonprofits | NPOs per 1,000 residents | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade | 84,319 | 1,115 | 13.22 | montana-demographics.com TaxExemptWorld |
| Gallatin | 129,094 | 1,702 | 13.18 | World Population Review TaxExemptWorld |
| Yellowstone | 173,295 | 2,040 | 11.77 | World Population Review TaxExemptWorld |
Cascade County actually leads the state’s major counties in nonprofit density, with Gallatin close behind. Yellowstone has the most nonprofits in absolute numbers, but its larger population lowers its ratio.
Next, we’ll start looking at financial and other data for individual NPOs in Great Falls and Cascade County.