Kalispell vs Swan Lake
Kalispell, Montana versus Swan Lake, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Kalispell and Swan Lake score about the same overall (47 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Kalispell | Swan Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $57k | $76k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $56k |
| Home Value | $341k | $444k |
| Monthly Rent | $952 | — |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $6k | $77 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.48% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.95% | 8.68% |
| Unemployment | 4.1% | 0.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 63°F | 66°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 16.8 in | 21.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 54.4 in | 50.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 239 days | 239 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 35 days | 31 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 64.1 | 87.9 |
| Air Quality | 25 AQI | 31 AQI |
| School Quality | 35.3 | 58.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1303/100k | 914/100k |
| Property Crime | 2620/100k | 1623/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 25,473 | 216 |
| Median Age | 35.8 | 43.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.18 | 0.02 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.93 | 1.43 |
| Political Leaning | R+31 | R+31 |
| White (%) | 89.4% | 99.1% |
| Black (%) | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.1% | 0.0% |
| Asian (%) | 1.6% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.6% | 0.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 15 min | — |
| Walkability | 9.1/20 | 4.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 154 mi | 175 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.6% | 96.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 66.34 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Kalispell or Swan Lake more affordable?
- Swan Lake has the lower cost of living: its index is $56k, compared with Kalispell's $56k and Swan Lake's $56k.
- Is Kalispell or Swan Lake safer?
- Swan Lake has the lower violent crime rate. Kalispell reports 1303/100k and Swan Lake reports 914/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Kalispell or Swan Lake?
- The median home value is $341k in Kalispell and $444k in Swan Lake, so homes are more affordable in Kalispell.