City profile · Montana · Census ACS 2023

Red Lodge, MT

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

2,399
Residents
$43,857
Median income
$374,900
Median home
$1,336
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Red Lodge, MT

Red Lodge is a city in Montana with a population of 2,399 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $43,857 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 3.0%. Typical homes in Red Lodge are valued around $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.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 48 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 243% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 584.7 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 43.4°F with 22.7 inches of precipitation per year and 141.9 inches of snowfall.

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

2,399 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Montana

Median Household Income

$43,857 /yr

Poverty 3.0%

Cost of Living Index

94.6 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

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 income 12% higher than other cities
Home value 75% pricier than other cities
Median rent 61% pricier than other cities
Safety 82% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Red Lodge 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 — Red Lodge, MT Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Red Lodge, MT. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Red Lodge, MT — median $43,857/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 Red Lodge, MT — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

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
584.7
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
182.7
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
402.0
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
43.4°F
Annual Precipitation
22.7"
Annual Snowfall
141.9"

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

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
2019 14
2020 36
2021 60
2022 48
2023 55
2024 48

Permit volume increased 243% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

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

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 — Red Lodge, 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 Red Lodge, 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 Red Lodge compares to nearby Montana cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

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

MT

Red Lodge

43.86% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$43,857
Brackets
2
Selected

MT

Big Sky

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$240
Brackets
2
Selected

MT

King Arthur Park

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$230
Brackets
2
Selected

MT

Conrad

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$260
Brackets
3
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MT FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Red Lodge, MT?

What is the population of Red Lodge, MT? +

Red Lodge, MT has a population of 2,399 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Red Lodge, MT? +

The median household income in Red Lodge is $43,857 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Red Lodge? +

Red Lodge 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 Red Lodge, MT safe? +

Red Lodge has a total crime rate of 584.7 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Red Lodge, MT? +

The median home value in Red Lodge is $374,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Red Lodge? +

Red Lodge has an average annual temperature of 43.4°F, 22.7 inches of precipitation, and 141.9 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

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.

Related

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

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