Flathead County, Montana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Flathead County, MT Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 83% of counties in Montana
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 75% of counties in Montana
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 87% of counties in Montana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Flathead County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 110,697 | 1,116,812 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 21.1 | 7.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.97% | 1.09% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.9 | 40.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 44,234 | 458,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Flathead County grew by 27.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 110,697 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Flathead County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.9% of residents. That is 1.4 points above Montana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 20,360 18.4% -3.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 22,579 20.4% on par
- Gen X 45–60 23,108 20.9% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 22,540 20.4% +1.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Montana, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.2% of the people living in Flathead County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Montana 49.4%
- Men 49.8% Montana 50.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Flathead County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Flathead County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Flathead County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,879 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.44% | 5.17% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Flathead County is about 2% higher than in Montana.
Housing
| Metric | Flathead County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $442,215 | $249,140 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,141 | $1,081 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.4% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Flathead County is about 32.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,141 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Flathead County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 147 hours, about 6.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Flathead County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.7 | 16.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.4 | 32.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 147 | 134 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,570 | $4,143 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.8% | 12.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,694 | 2,162 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,016 | 403 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Montana:
Treasure County (7.2 min), Rosebud County (8.2 min), Fallon County (8.4 min).
Slowest:
Broadwater County (30.3 min), Stillwater County (27.8 min), Granite County (23.3 min).
The average commute time in Flathead County is 18 minutes, longer than the 16 minutes in Montana.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Flathead County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Flathead County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.4% | 31.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Montana:
Gallatin County (0.4), Missoula County (0.3), Lewis and Clark County (0.3).
Lowest:
Liberty County (0.2), Toole County (0.2), Wheatland County (0.2).
Health
Flathead County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Flathead County | Montana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.9 | 79.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.3% | 14.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.6% | 18.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Montana:
Gallatin County (0.8), Missoula County (0.8), Granite County (0.8).
Lowest:
Glacier County (0.7), Big Horn County (0.8), Roosevelt County (0.8).
Flathead County, MT Compared With Nearby Counties
Flathead County, MT is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 110,697 residents against a local median of 32,553. The measure that sets Flathead County, MT apart most is median household income: $73,879, 16% above the local median of $63,733. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $27,589 on median household income, so Flathead County, MT sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Flathead County, MT has the 2nd highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flathead County, MT | 110,697 | $73,879 #2/4 | $442,215 #2/4 | 17.7 min #4/4 |
| Lake County, MT | 32,553 | $63,733 | $402,194 | 17.1 min |
| Missoula County, MT | 120,671 | $75,565 | $463,380 | 16.1 min |
| Lincoln County, MT | 21,175 | $47,976 | $362,903 | 11.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Flathead County, Montana.
What is the population of Flathead County, Montana?
About 110,697 people live in Flathead County, Montana, in 44,234 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 43.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
How densely populated is Flathead County, Montana?
Averaged over its land area, Flathead County, Montana has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 24% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Flathead County, Montana?
The median home costs 6.0 times the median household income ($442,215 against $73,879), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,141 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Flathead County, Montana?
Unemployment in Flathead County, Montana is only 2.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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