Montana Personal Income Lower than the Nation as a Whole

The Montana Legislature’s Fiscal Service division says average personal income in Montana has been lower than the nation as a whole since the 1950s, but the gap has narrowed since 2000. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis indicates that the average Montanan earned about $71,000 in 2024, $4,100 less than the national average.
In the year 2000, the gap between the U.S. and Montana average incomes was $14,100. That year, Montanans earned $43,000 on average.
Personal income statistics include both wage and salary income, as well as non-wage income such as Social Security benefits, business income, and investment earnings.