City profile · Montana · Census ACS 2023

Bigfork, MT

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Bigfork - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

5,249
Residents
$82,648
Median income
$614,300
Median home
$1,691
Median rent (state)

Bigfork - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Bigfork places in the 64th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

64th
percentile, household income
90th
percentile, home value
67th
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: Bigfork, MT

Bigfork is a small town in Montana, home to 5,249 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $82,648 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.2%. Home values in Bigfork run a median of $614,300, and the median resident age is 53.7 years. Educational attainment runs 51.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 46.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 46.8°F with 21.4 inches of precipitation per year.

Living costs in Montana run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Montana at 94.6 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,691 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Montana's average monthly utility costs around $175 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 86.5 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

5,249 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Montana

Median Household Income

$82,648 /yr

Poverty 3.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.6 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Montana average

How does Bigfork compare to other US cities?

Where Bigfork sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 64% higher than other cities
Home value 90% pricier than other cities
Median rent 67% 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

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Bigfork's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Montana, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

64thIncome percentile

64th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Bigfork's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$614,300 10th percentile more affordable than 10% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Bigfork $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Bigfork, MT Bigfork, MT's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Bigfork, MT-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Bigfork, MT median $82,648/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Bigfork, MT's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Bigfork, MT. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 51.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 46.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
5,249
Median Income
$82,648
Median Home Value
$614,300
Median Age
53.7
Poverty Rate
3.2%
Labor force participation
46.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
51.0%

Climate

Avg Temperature
46.8°F
Annual Precipitation
21.4"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
69.3%
Carpool
6.3%
Public Transit
0.1%
Walk
6.0%
Work from Home
16.7%
Other
1.6%

Based on 2,073 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 Bigfork sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.6
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,691/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
86.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Montana

Orchard Homes
5,280 people
Polson
5,334 people
Helena Valley Northwest
5,070 people
Columbia Falls
5,531 people
Hamilton
4,949 people
Four Corners
5,562 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Bigfork's 5,249 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Flagler Beach, FL
5,250 people
Delhi Hills, OH
5,248 people
Rigby, ID
5,251 people
Johnstown, OH
5,247 people
Lewisburg, PA
5,247 people
Schuylkill Haven, PA
5,247 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Bigfork's $82,648 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Landis, NC
$82,645 median income
Claysville, PA
$82,656 median income
Colton, SD
$82,639 median income
Beacon Hill, WA
$82,639 median income
Helemano, HI
$82,659 median income
Prosperity, WV
$82,637 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Bigfork, MT Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Bigfork, MT - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 85.6% 9.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9.3% White 85.6% Black or African American 0.1% Asian 0.0% American Indian 1.6% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.9% Two or more races 9.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Bigfork 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
Bigfork (this city) 5,249 $82,648
Orchard Homes 5,280 $68,649
Polson 5,334 $51,463
Helena Valley Northwest 5,070 $101,278
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MT NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Bigfork, MT?

What is the population of Bigfork, MT? +

Bigfork, MT has a population of 5,249 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Bigfork, MT? +

In Bigfork, the typical household earns $82,648 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Bigfork? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Bigfork; 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.

What is the median home value in Bigfork, MT? +

The median home value in Bigfork is $614,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Bigfork? +

The average annual temperature in Bigfork runs 46.8°F, 21.4 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, 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 PlainCities Editorial

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Every 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.