Flathead County, Montana
AffordabilityAffordability: grade C, better than 32% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 16% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 19% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B, better than 69% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 67% of US counties
- top 2% for sales tax
- top 7% for summer humidity
- bottom 4% for comfortable days
Flathead County is a county in Montana with about 106,000 residents. It grades B for getting around and D for weather. Standout strengths include sales tax, summer humidity, and park & nature access. It rates lower on annual snowfall and comfortable days.
Official websiteflathead.mt.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Mild summers · Cold winters · Dry · Heavy snow
freez.
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cold
v.cold
freez.
83%30%clearovercast
Precipitation 1.7 in1.5 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$68k70th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$56kbetter than 10% of US counties
Home Value$414k95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 21% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 12% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.66%better than 69% of US counties
Income Tax5.90%better than 24% of US counties
Sales Tax0.00%better than 98% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden9.91%better than 41% of US counties
Unemployment3.2%better than 80% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)25°F22nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)63°F2nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation18.8 in11th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall58.1 inbetter than 8% of US counties
Sunny Days239 daysbetter than 53% of US counties
Summer Humidity48°Fbetter than 93% of US counties
Comfortable Days35 daysbetter than 4% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk86.5better than 13% of US counties
Air Quality43 AQIbetter than 49% of US counties
School Quality45.4better than 28% of US counties
Violent Crime914/100kbetter than 41% of US counties
Property Crime1623/100kbetter than 22% of US counties
Community
Population105,95082nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age42.359th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.1527th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0054th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+3141st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)91.1%76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)0.3%13th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)3.3%35th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.8%62nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.6%73rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time19 minbetter than 86% of US counties
Walkability7.2/20better than 78% of US counties
Airport Distance172 mibetter than 19% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access88.5%better than 81% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.00better than 12% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 88% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Flathead County an affordable place to live?
- Flathead County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $56k, better than 10% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Flathead County?
- The median home value in Flathead County is $414k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Flathead County?
- Median household income in Flathead County is $68k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Flathead County?
- Median gross rent in Flathead County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Flathead County safe?
- Flathead County is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 914/100k (better than 41%). Property crime is 1623/100k.
- What is the weather like in Flathead County?
- Flathead County averages 63°F in July and 25°F in January, with 18.8 in of annual precipitation and about 239 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Flathead County?
- Public-school quality in Flathead County is below average, scoring better than 28% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Flathead County?
- The average one-way commute in Flathead County is 19 min.
Other counties in Montana
Explore Montana
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)