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Place dossier plate
SheetMT-KALISPELL-MT · Kalispell, MT 26,830 pop · income 38th pct · 32 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Kalispell
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Kalispell on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Bridgeton · lowest
46,124
Bridgeton · lowest
46,124 median HH income
36.9% of the leader · rank #1
Atlanta · near
61,583
Atlanta · near
61,583 median HH income
49.3% of the leader · rank #2
Kalispell · this city
61,590
Kalispell · this city
61,590 median HH income
49.3% of the leader · rank #3
Belgium · near
61,591
Belgium · near
61,591 median HH income
49.3% of the leader · rank #4
Loretto · near
61,591
Loretto · near
61,591 median HH income
49.3% of the leader · rank #5
Poultney · near
61,597
Poultney · near
61,597 median HH income
49.3% of the leader · rank #6
Benicia · highest
125,040
Benicia · highest
125,040 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Kalispell on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 26,830.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Kalispell - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Kalispell places in the 38th percentile for household income and the 22nd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
38th
percentile, household income
76th
percentile, home value
61st
percentile, median rent
22nd
percentile, safety
📝 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: Kalispell, MT
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 26,830 residents in Kalispell, a small city within Montana. Median household income here is $61,590 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.3%. Kalispell's housing stock carries a median value of $381,400, and the median resident age is 35.6 years. 32.9% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 63.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 232 residential building permits were authorized in Kalispell (Slowing), down 6% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2519.4 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, near the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,336 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Montana run around $175, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 33.3 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Kalispell's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from reported crime to schools and households to housing and income to population change to work and mobility to within-city variation to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Kalispell, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, commute-mode shares, annual population history, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What can the FBI record say about safety in Kalispell?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2519.4 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 10% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
What does the education layer cover for Kalispell?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 22 public schools within the city match. 32.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
What can 32 Census tracts reveal inside Kalispell?
PlainCities matches 32 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Kalispell?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Montana, the closest population matches are Helena (33,126 residents, $69,341 income); Butte-Silver Bow (34,929 residents, $57,633 income); Belgrade (11,425 residents, $88,896 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Bridgeton, NJ (26,836 residents); Woodburn, OR (26,845 residents); Benicia, CA (26,861 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Kalispell?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 6.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 5.3%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
6.2×
Home value
$381,400
Household income
$61,590
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Is Kalispell growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +6,588 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +26.1% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 232 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
25,263
2025 estimate
31,851
Period change
+26.1%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in Kalispell?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 76.5%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
76.5%
Work from home
10.0%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 13,246 workers age 16+.
Below median income · poverty 5.3% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.6 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Montana average
C-
City profile score · Kalispell, MT
51/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living B-
94.6 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate C+
5.3%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share C+
32.9%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$61,590
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime F
293 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Kalispell profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 66/100 (B-) · 94.6 index
Poverty rate: 63/100 (C+) · 5.3%
Bachelor's+ share: 63/100 (C+) · 32.9%
Household income: 37/100 (F) · $61,590
Violent crime: 34/100 (F) · 293 /100k
Where Kalispell sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Kalispell's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Kalispell highlighted among 9 peers.Read the chart values
Kalispell, MT (this city): home $381,400, crime 2,519/100k
Bridgeton, NJ : home $134,400, crime 4,427/100k
Woodburn, OR : home $308,400, crime 3,169/100k
Benicia, CA : home $778,600, crime 1,164/100k
Plum, PA : home $218,600, crime 214/100k
South Portland, ME : home $405,800, crime 1,433/100k
Helena, MT : home $355,100, crime 3,096/100k
Belgrade, MT : home $469,600, crime 1,494/100k
Havre, MT : home $197,600, crime 3,870/100k
How does Kalispell compare to other US cities?
Here's how Kalispell stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income38% higher than other cities
Home value76% pricier than other cities
Median rent61% pricier than other cities
Safety22% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Montana, Kalispell ranks #29 of 39 Montana cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Kalispell against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Montana only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Montana-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Kalispell near the bottom of Montana's cities
Among the 317 Montana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Kalispell ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Kalispell only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#136 of 282
52nd percentile in Montana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 317
0th percentile in Montana
Median Home Value
#65 of 279
77th percentile in Montana
Poverty Rate
#178 of 315
43rd percentile in Montana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#76 of 317
75th percentile in Montana
How in-state ranks are ordered
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.
Gauge source note
38th percentile nationally for median household income · 22nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Kalispell's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Kalispell's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Kalispell's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$381,40024th percentilemore affordable than 24% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Kalispell's home-value-to-income ratio: 6.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#14,252 of 15,516
More affordable than 8% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#3,005 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 6.2×, Kalispell sits in the pressured band:
national rank #14,252 of 15,516 and #3,005 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$61,590Kalispell, MT median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Kalispell, MT median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Kalispell, MT.
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 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
292.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2226.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
22
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Kalispell's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
25,263 residents
2021
26,816 residents
2022
28,885 residents
2023
30,121 residents
2024
31,225 residents
2025
31,851 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
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
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
248
102
146
$42.7M
2020
469
270
199
$99.7M
2021
886
229
657
$130.7M
2022
540
128
412
$86.6M
2023
547
92
455
$94.1M
2024
232
148
84
$51.1M
Permit volume decreased 6% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
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
Montana statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $175
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Montana at $175 (electricity about $80 , water and sewer about $40 ).
These are Montana statewide averages, not a meter reading for Kalispell. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Montana's BEA cost-of-living index is 94.6 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Kalispell is $1,336/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Montana statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 33.3 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Montana statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Kalispell sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Kalispell compares to similar-size Montana cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
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.