City profile · Montana · Census ACS 2023

Kalispell, MT

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

26,830
Residents
$61,590
Median income
$381,400
Median home
$1,336
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Kalispell, MT

Kalispell is a city in Montana with a population of 26,830 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $61,590 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 5.3%. Typical homes in Kalispell are valued around $381,400, and the median resident age is 35.6 years. About 32.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 63.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 232 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Slowing), down 6% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2519.4 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Montana registers 94.6 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,336 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $175 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 33.3 out of 100 (Very Low).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

26,830 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Montana

Median Household Income

$61,590 /yr

Poverty 5.3%

Cost of Living Index

94.6 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Kalispell compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 38% higher than other cities
Home value 76% pricier than other cities
Median rent 61% pricier than other cities
Safety 22% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Kalispell against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Kalispell, MT Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Kalispell, MT. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Kalispell, MT — median $61,590/yr — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Kalispell, MT — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 32.9%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.3%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 63.3%

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

Population
26,830
Median Income
$61,590
Median Home Value
$381,400
Median Age
35.6
Poverty Rate
5.3%
Labor force participation
63.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
32.9%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2519.4
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
292.9
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
2226.5
per 1,000 residents

Schools

Total Schools
22
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
232
housing units authorized
Single-Family
148
detached homes
Multifamily
84
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
8.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 248
2020 469
2021 886
2022 540
2023 547
2024 232

Permit volume decreased 6% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
76.5%
Carpool
8.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.7%
Work from Home
10.0%
Other
2.1%

Based on 13,246 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

Montana state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
94.6
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,336/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
33.3 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Kalispell, 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 Kalispell, MT — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Kalispell compares to nearby Montana cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Kalispell) plus the nearest peer cities in Montana, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

MT

Kalispell

61.59% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$61,590
Brackets
27
Selected

MT

Helena

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$3,310
Brackets
33
Selected

MT

Butte-Silver Bow (balance)

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$3,490
Brackets
35
Selected

MT

Belgrade

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,140
Brackets
11
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MT FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Kalispell, MT?

What is the population of Kalispell, MT? +

Kalispell, MT has a population of 26,830 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Kalispell is $61,590 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Kalispell? +

Kalispell has a cost of living index of 94.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Kalispell, MT safe? +

Kalispell has a total crime rate of 2519.4 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

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

The median home value in Kalispell is $381,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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