Gallatin County, MT
Get paid to care for your family member in Gallatin County, Montana
About 18,200 people in Gallatin County are 65 or older — 14% of everyone who lives here. Gallatin County skews younger than Montana overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 1,530 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Gallatin County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.
Who needs care in Gallatin
- People 65 and older
- 18,200
- People 85 and older
- 1,530
- Median age
- 34.5
- Rank in Montana
- 4th
14% of Gallatin residents
the age daily help usually starts
younger than the country as a whole
of 56 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Gallatin County is a metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 3). Montana as a whole is 21% aged 65 or older.
What Montana pays family caregivers
Rates vary — check with the program.
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Montana Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Montana's programs at a glance
- Big Sky Waiver (self-directed)
- Community First Choice & PCS
- Spouse paid?
- Sometimes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Montana guide →
Towns and cities in Gallatin County
Montana sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Bozeman and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Gallatin County:
- Bozeman57,894
- Belgrade12,741
- Manhattan2,068
- Three Forks1,945
- West Yellowstone1,202
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Gallatin apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Gallatin County start with Montana's program:
Apply for Montana Medicaid at apply.mt.gov or a local Office of Public Assistance (helpline 888-706-1535); Mountain Pacific Quality Health does the functional assessment (800-219-7035).
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Montana program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Gallatin questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Gallatin County?
Yes. Montana runs real Medicaid programs — like Big Sky Waiver (self-directed) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Gallatin County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Gallatin County?
Montana doesn't publish one flat rate. The program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Gallatin County apply?
Families in Gallatin County start with the state, not the county. Apply for Montana Medicaid at apply.mt.gov or a local Office of Public Assistance (helpline 888-706-1535); Mountain Pacific Quality Health does the functional assessment (800-219-7035).
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Gallatin County?
Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Montana: limited — yes under Big Sky Waiver self-directed option; prohibited under CFCS/PCS (spouses and parents of minors excluded there)
How many people in Gallatin County might need this?
18,200 residents of Gallatin County are 65 or older and about 1,530 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Montana's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Gallatin do you cover?
All of Gallatin County — including Bozeman, Belgrade, Manhattan, Three Forks and West Yellowstone. Eligibility is set by Montana, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Montana's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
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