Population
651 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Montana
City profile · Montana · Census ACS 2023
Arlee, MT
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Arlee - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 651
- Residents
- $53,000
- Median income
- $1,655
- Median rent (state)
Arlee - the verdict
Nationally, Arlee sits in the 24th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.
- 24th
- percentile, household income
- 65th
- percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Arlee, MT
Arlee is a small town in Montana, home to 651 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Arlee brings in $53,000 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 25.3%. The median resident age is 34.9 years. 29.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 55.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The city is served by 3 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.
Living costs in Montana run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Montana scores 94.6 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,655 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Montana's average monthly utility costs around $175 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 77.0 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).
Median Household Income
$53,000 /yr
Poverty 25.3%
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.6 (US=100)
Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Montana average
How does Arlee compare to other US cities?
Arlee measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income 24% higher than other cities
Median rent 65% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Arlee against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Montana only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Montana-relative analysis
Poverty Rate places Arlee toward the top of Montana's cities
Among the 315 Montana cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Arlee ranks #43 - the 86th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Arlee only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#181 of 282
36th percentile in Montana
Median Gross Rent
#42 of 317
82nd percentile in Montana
Poverty Rate
#43 of 315
86th percentile in Montana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#100 of 317
68th percentile in Montana
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Montana only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
24th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 29.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 25.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 55.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
651
Median Income
$53,000
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
34.9
Poverty Rate
25.3%
Labor force participation
55.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
29.0%
Schools
Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
40.9%
Carpool
15.1%
Public Transit
3.9%
Walk
13.1%
Work from Home
27.0%
Based on 259 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Montana - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$80
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$175
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Montana state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a Montana state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Arlee sits in
Cost of Living Index
94.6
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,655/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
77.0 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in Montana
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Arlee's 651 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Arlee's $53,000 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Arlee compares to nearby Montana cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
| City | Population | Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|
| Arlee (this city) | 651 | $53,000 |
| Black Eagle | 654 | $55,588 |
| Cascade | 654 | $48,750 |
| Poplar | 655 | $45,104 |
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MT NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Arlee, MT?
What is the population of Arlee, MT? +
Arlee, MT counts 651 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Arlee, MT? +
The median household income in Arlee is $53,000 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Arlee? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Arlee; the closest available measure is the Montana state average, a cost of living index of 94.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Montana vary by metro area.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Citation & verification links
Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCitiesEvery figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.