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Place dossier plate
SheetMT-RED-LODGE-MT · Red Lodge, MT 2,399 pop · income 12th pct
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 Red Lodge
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Red Lodge on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Maxton · lowest
22,632
Maxton · lowest
22,632 median HH income
21.1% of the leader · rank #1
Hackleburg · near
43,854
Hackleburg · near
43,854 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #2
Smith Corner · near
43,854
Smith Corner · near
43,854 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #3
Ste. Genevieve · near
43,856
Ste. Genevieve · near
43,856 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #4
Red Lodge · this city
43,857
Red Lodge · this city
43,857 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #5
Tellico Plains · near
43,859
Tellico Plains · near
43,859 median HH income
40.9% of the leader · rank #6
King Arthur P… · highest
107,341
King Arthur P… · highest
107,341 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 Red Lodge 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: 2,399.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Red Lodge - the verdict
Red Lodge ranks in the 12th percentile for household income and the 82nd percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
12th
percentile, household income
75th
percentile, home value
61st
percentile, median rent
82nd
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: Red Lodge, MT
Red Lodge is a small town in Montana, home to 2,399 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Red Lodge report a median income of $43,857 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.0%. Home values in Red Lodge run a median of $374,900, and the median resident age is 57.9 years. About 44.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 60.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 48 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 243% from five years earlier. Red Lodge reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 584.8 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 43.4°F with 22.7 inches of precipitation per year and 141.9 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Montana run below the national norm: the state registers 94.6 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,336 monthly. 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 33.3 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Red Lodge'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 housing and income to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context to work and mobility to schools and households to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Red Lodge, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What can the FBI record say about safety in Red Lodge?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 584.8 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 74% lower 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.
How far does income reach against housing in Red Lodge?
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 8.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Red Lodge?
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 Big Sky (2,388 residents, $103,625 income); King Arthur Park (2,343 residents, $107,341 income); Conrad (2,553 residents, $47,348 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Flora, MS (2,399 residents); Nanty-Glo, PA (2,399 residents); Tool, TX (2,399 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.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 43.4°F, with 22.7 inches of precipitation and 141.9 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Montana is 33.3 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
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.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Red Lodge?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 61.2%. 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
61.2%
Work from home
14.9%
Public transit
1.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 1,229 workers age 16+.
What does the education layer cover for Red Lodge?
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 3 public schools within the city match. 44.7% 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.
Poverty estimate
3.0%
Bachelor's degree+
44.7%
Matched public schools
3
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Is Red Lodge growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +452 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +19.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 48 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
2,271
2025 estimate
2,723
Period change
+19.9%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Montana average
C-
City profile score · Red Lodge, MT
54/100
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.
Poverty rate B+
3.0%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share B+
44.7%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
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.
Violent crime C-
183 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Household income F
$43,857
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Red Lodge profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Poverty rate: 79/100 (B+) · 3.0%
Bachelor's+ share: 79/100 (B+) · 44.7%
Cost of living: 66/100 (B-) · 94.6 index
Violent crime: 50/100 (C-) · 183 /100k
Household income: 12/100 (F) · $43,857
Where Red Lodge sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Red Lodge'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 - Red Lodge highlighted among 26 peers.Read the chart values
Red Lodge, MT (this city): home $374,900, crime 585/100k
Tool, TX : home $163,700, crime 257/100k
Maxton, NC : home $79,600, crime 1,229/100k
Conrad, MT : home $158,400, crime 986/100k
Wolf Point, MT : home $124,600, crime 968/100k
Stevensville, MT : home $336,500, crime 790/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does Red Lodge compare to other US cities?
Where Red Lodge sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income12% higher than other cities
Home value75% pricier than other cities
Median rent61% pricier than other cities
Safety82% 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, Red Lodge ranks #5 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 Red Lodge 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 Red Lodge near the bottom of Montana's cities
Among the 317 Montana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Red Lodge ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Red Lodge only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#231 of 282
18th percentile in Montana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 317
0th percentile in Montana
Median Home Value
#68 of 279
76th percentile in Montana
Poverty Rate
#205 of 315
35th percentile in Montana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#37 of 317
88th 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
12th percentile nationally for median household income · 82nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Red Lodge's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Red Lodge'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 Red Lodge's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$374,90025th percentilemore affordable than 25% 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
Red Lodge's home-value-to-income ratio: 8.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#15,177 of 15,516
More affordable than 2% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#11,121 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 8.5×, Red Lodge sits in the pressured band:
national rank #15,177 of 15,516 and #11,121 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
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
$43,857Red Lodge, MT median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Red Lodge, 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 Red Lodge, MT.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)44.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)3.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)60.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
2,399
Median Income
$43,857
Median Home Value
$374,900
Median Age
57.9
Poverty Rate
3.0%
Labor force participation
60.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
44.7%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
584.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
182.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
402.0
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.
Climate
Avg Temperature
43.4°F
Annual Precipitation
22.7"
Annual Snowfall
141.9"
Schools
Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Red Lodge's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
2,271 residents
2021
2,387 residents
2022
2,520 residents
2023
2,609 residents
2024
2,684 residents
2025
2,723 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
48
housing units authorized
Single-Family
42
detached homes
Multifamily
6
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
20
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
14
14
0
$3.1M
2020
36
36
0
$8.4M
2021
60
58
2
$20.6M
2022
48
46
2
$17.5M
2023
55
53
2
$18.9M
2024
48
42
6
$15.8M
Permit volume increased 243% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
61.2%
Carpool
8.7%
Public Transit
1.0%
Walk
8.6%
Work from Home
14.9%
Other
5.6%
Based on 1,229 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 Red Lodge. 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 Red Lodge 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 Red Lodge sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Red Lodge 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, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.