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Place dossier plate
SheetMT-WEST-YELLOWSTONE-MT · West Yellowstone, MT 1,457 pop · income 31st 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 West Yellowstone
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest West Yellowstone on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Pierson · lowest
47,652
Pierson · lowest
47,652 median HH income
47.5% of the leader · rank #1
Coolidge · near
57,161
Coolidge · near
57,161 median HH income
57.0% of the leader · rank #2
Northumberland · near
57,162
Northumberland · near
57,162 median HH income
57.0% of the leader · rank #3
West Yellowst… · this city
57,167
West Yellowst… · this city
57,167 median HH income
57.0% of the leader · rank #4
Warsaw · near
57,170
Warsaw · near
57,170 median HH income
57.0% of the leader · rank #5
Orofino · near
57,171
Orofino · near
57,171 median HH income
57.0% of the leader · rank #6
Brooklyn · highest
100,357
Brooklyn · highest
100,357 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 West Yellowstone 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: 1,457.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
West Yellowstone - the verdict
Nationally, West Yellowstone sits in the 31st percentile for household income and the 75th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
31st
percentile, household income
78th
percentile, home value
61st
percentile, median rent
75th
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: West Yellowstone, MT
Montana's West Yellowstone is a small town, with 1,457 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. West Yellowstone households earn a median of $57,167 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.7%. West Yellowstone's housing stock carries a median value of $402,600, and the median resident age is 33.3 years. About 26.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 74.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 4 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 33% from five years earlier. West Yellowstone reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 746.3 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).
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. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,336 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $175 across Montana, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for West Yellowstone workers runs 6.6 minutes, with 46.4% driving alone and 1.5% working from home. 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 West Yellowstone'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 schools and households to housing and income to population change to reported crime to work and mobility to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For West Yellowstone, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates.
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.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for West Yellowstone?
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. 26.7% 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.
How far does income reach against housing in West Yellowstone?
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 7.0 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Is West Yellowstone growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -87 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -6.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 4 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 downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Which cities make useful reference points for West Yellowstone?
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 Chinook (1,460 residents, $71,500 income); Bonner-West Riverside (1,445 residents, $59,609 income); Fort Benton (1,470 residents, $67,171 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Bridgeport, OH (1,457 residents); Coulee Dam, WA (1,457 residents); Brooklyn, WI (1,457 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.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in West Yellowstone?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 746.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 67% 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.
Total reported rate
746.3
Violent rate
82.9
Property rate
663.3
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the journey to work look like in West Yellowstone?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 46.4%. The reported mean trip to work is 6.6 minutes.
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
46.4%
Work from home
1.5%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 851 workers age 16+.
Below median income · poverty 4.7% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.6 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Montana average
C
City profile score · West Yellowstone, MT
57/100
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.
Violent crime B+
83 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate B-
4.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
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.
Bachelor's+ share C-
26.7%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$57,167
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
West Yellowstone profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Violent crime: 75/100 (B+) · 83 /100k
Poverty rate: 67/100 (B-) · 4.7%
Cost of living: 66/100 (B-) · 94.6 index
Bachelor's+ share: 52/100 (C-) · 26.7%
Household income: 30/100 (F) · $57,167
Where West Yellowstone sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
West Yellowstone'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 - West Yellowstone highlighted among 25 peers.Read the chart values
West Yellowstone, MT (this city): home $402,600, crime 746/100k
Coulee Dam, WA : home $212,900, crime 2,284/100k
Redfield, AR : home $145,500, crime 1,614/100k
Ponderay, ID : home $391,700, crime 491/100k
Chinook, MT : home $205,900, crime 952/100k
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 West Yellowstone compare to other US cities?
West Yellowstone measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income31% higher than other cities
Home value78% pricier than other cities
Median rent61% pricier than other cities
Safety75% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Montana and the picture shifts: West Yellowstone ranks #6 of 39 Montana cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares West Yellowstone 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 West Yellowstone near the bottom of Montana's cities
Among the 317 Montana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, West Yellowstone ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares West Yellowstone only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#163 of 282
42nd percentile in Montana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 317
0th percentile in Montana
Median Home Value
#58 of 279
79th percentile in Montana
Poverty Rate
#188 of 315
39th percentile in Montana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#122 of 317
62nd 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
31st percentile nationally for median household income · 75th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
West Yellowstone's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
West Yellowstone'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 West Yellowstone's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$402,60022nd percentilemore affordable than 22% 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
West Yellowstone's home-value-to-income ratio: 7.0×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#14,686 of 15,516
More affordable than 5% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#10,809 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 7.0×, West Yellowstone sits in the pressured band:
national rank #14,686 of 15,516 and #10,809 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
$57,167West Yellowstone, MT median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context West Yellowstone, 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 West Yellowstone, MT.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)26.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)4.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)74.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
1,457
Median Income
$57,167
Median Home Value
$402,600
Median Age
33.3
Poverty Rate
4.7%
Labor force participation
74.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
26.7%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
746.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
82.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
663.3
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
3
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
West Yellowstone's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
1,278 residents
2021
1,279 residents
2022
1,249 residents
2023
1,222 residents
2024
1,205 residents
2025
1,191 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
4
housing units authorized
Single-Family
4
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
6
6
0
$1.4M
2020
7
7
0
$1.6M
2021
4
4
0
$0.4M
2022
5
5
0
$0.9M
2023
3
3
0
$0.5M
2024
4
4
0
$0.6M
Permit volume decreased 33% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
6.6 minutes
Drive Alone
46.4%
Carpool
27.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
15.7%
Work from Home
1.5%
Other
9.4%
Based on 851 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 West Yellowstone. 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 West Yellowstone 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 West Yellowstone sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How West Yellowstone 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.