Yellowstone County Income Charts

This section shows the Yellowstone County Montana economy using the most recent economic analysis from the 2022 Census Bureau. Starting with Figure 1 which shows the median earnings per worker, Yellowstone County indicates it has a Median earnings of $50,445 which is the second most median earnings of all the counties in the greater Yellowstone County region. The county with the highest median earnings per worker in the area is Stillwater County which depicts a median earnings of $56,250 (11.5% larger). Comparing median earnings per worker to the United States average of $53,269, Yellowstone County is about 5.6% smaller. Also, measured against the state of Montana, median earnings per worker of $46,578, Yellowstone County is 8.3% larger.

In Figure 2 a more complete view of income is shown which aggregates income from all members in the household and it has a Median household income of $65,656 which is the second most median income of all the counties in the greater Yellowstone County region. The county with the highest median household income in the area is Stillwater County which depicts a median income of $72,906 (11.0% larger). Comparing median household income to the United States average of $69,021, Yellowstone County is only about 5.1% smaller. Also, benchmarked against the state of Montana, median household income of $60,560, Yellowstone County is 8.4% larger.

The next section examines a variety of different income statistics for the Yellowstone County metropolitan area. In Figure 3 we see that it it has the largest proportion of earnings between $20,000 and $49,999 at 21.4% of the total and is ranked #1. Dividing median annual worker earnings by the average number of hours worked in a year in Figure 4 shows that it has a Avg Hrly Earnings of $25.26 which is the second most average hourly earnings of all the counties in the greater Yellowstone County region. The county with the highest average hourly earnings in the area is Stillwater County which depicts an average hourly earnings of $27.39 (8.4% larger). Comparing average hourly earnings to the United States average of $26.40, Yellowstone County is only about 4.5% smaller. Also, versus the state of Montana, average hourly earnings of $23.45, Yellowstone County is 7.7% larger.

Figure 5 examines the number of self employed people in the Yellowstone County metro area based on the number of people who reported any self employment income. Yellowstone County depicts it has a Self Employed of 12.8% which is the second smallest in order of percentage of people self employed of all the other counties in the metropolitan area. The county with the highest percentage of people self employed in the area is Treasure County which shows a percentage self employed of 26.0% (about twice as large).

Figure 6 breaks down the source of income and Yellowstone County has the smallest proportion of investment and retirement income at 7.5% of the total.

The next chart (Figure 7) shows the percentage of households that had retirement income over the last 12 months and it has a With Retirement Income of 20.7% which is in the mid range of other counties in the greater region. The county with the highest households with retirement income in the area is Golden Valley County which depicts a households with retirement income of 25.2% (21.9% larger).

The percentage of full-time workers are compared to the number of part-time workers in Figure 8. Yellowstone County depicts full time employees approximately 3.2 times bigger as the part time employees.

Similar to the last chart is Figure 9 which shows the number of people who are self employed but in more detailed industry categories such as manufacturing, retail sales, residential real estate, commercial real estate, health care, exports/imports, and advanced industries, etc. Yellowstone County depicts it has the hightest entrepreneurs of 24% for the self employed in professional, scientific, management, administrative services category.

Figure 10 shows the cost of living and other consumer spending categories for a variety of cost components from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yellowstone County indicates it has the hightest cost of 107.3 for the cost of grocery items category.

Yellowstone County Poverty Charts

In Figure 11 the percentage of people earning less than the poverty level is shown and compared across the group of places. Yellowstone County depicts it has a Percent of Population In Poverty of 10.9% which is in the middle range of other counties in the area. The county with the highest percent of people earning less than the poverty level in the area is Big Horn County which shows a percent of people in poverty of 28.6% (approximately 2.6 times bigger). Additionally, Figure 12 looks at the percentage of people who receive some form of public assistance including general assistance, temporary assistance or food stamps (i.e. SNAP.) Yellowstone County shows it has a Public Assistance Percent of 10.2% which is the third most households with public assistance of all other counties in the greater Yellowstone County region. The county with the highest households with public assistance in the area is Musselshell County which depicts a households with public assistance of 13.7% (34.8% larger).

Yellowstone County Labor Force Charts

The table in Figure 13, shows Yellowstone County employment data in terms of job categories and salary data.

The next two charts look at monthly trended employment related performance using data estimated by economists at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS tracks unemployment statistics for a large number of areas throughout the country on a month to month basis. However, not every location in the U.S. is tracked by the BLS so the chart will only show the closest location available (which may be the same location.) Figure 14 shows the monthly unemployment rate for the area as well as a comparison to the overall national economy measure for the United States. Note that in March to April 2022, the Covid 19 recession occurred and affects this metric. The monthly unemployment rate depicts that from January 2017 to before the COVID-19 Pandemic it went from 4.8% to 4.4% in March 2020. This represents a decrease in the monthly unemployment rate of 8.3%. Since that time, the monthly unemployment rate has gone to 3.5%. This represents a decrease in the monthly unemployment rate of 20.5%.

Yellowstone County Jobs Charts

In the jobs section of economic activity charts in Figure 15 shows the average annual earnings for very high level job industry categories for full time and year round employed.

Figure 16 shows the average median earnings for different categories of jobs.

Yellowstone County Work Commute Charts

The following set of charts detail a variety of metrics that have economic impact, economic grow factors and economic development metrics in the Yellowstone County community and has an impact on other factors such as economic growth, population growth, economic recovery, job growth, etc.. Figure 17 shows a high level view of how the population commutes to work (including the percent of people who work from home.) Yellowstone County has the smallest proportion of people who take public transportation to work at 2% of the total. Second, it has the smallest proportion of people who bicycle or walk to work at 6% of the total. Figure 18 shows a more detailed view of how the population commutes to work for (for example to downtown Yellowstone County or elsewhere.) Yellowstone County has the largest proportion of people who drove alone at 82% of the total and is ranked #1. Second, it has the smallest proportion of people who walked at 2% of the total. Third, it has the smallest proportion of people who took a taxicab, motorcycle or other at 1% of the total. Also, it has the smallest proportion of people who work from home at 6% of the total.

Figure 19 is provided for comparison purposes to the previous chart. It shows how people get to work overall on average in the United States.

The average commute time is shown in Figure 21. Yellowstone County depicts it has a Avg Commute Time of 18 which is less than most other counties in the local area.