Population 110,695 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Flathead County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Flathead County
Household size in Flathead County
| Period | Flathead County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.46 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.58 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.53 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.07 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Flathead County run a little small, averaging 2.53 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Still, the typical household here is bigger than in Montana overall, where it has 2.44 people. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.46, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Flathead County
| Period | Flathead County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.1 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.4 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.9 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.7 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.6 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Flathead County skews older than the country: its median age is 43.7, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.1, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Flathead County
| Period | Flathead County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Flathead County: 8.3% of households, against 11.6% nationally. That is in line with the rest of Montana. The single-parent share is down 1.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Flathead County
Renters in Flathead County
| Period | Flathead County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.5% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.9% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.9% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.6% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Flathead County rent their homes (27.6%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About four in ten owners (39.3%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. The renter share has edged down 0.8 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Flathead County
| Period | Flathead County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.6% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.8% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.5% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Flathead County: 12.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is down 3.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Flathead County
| Period | Flathead County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +7 | +6 |
Flathead County has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1989, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1982 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the south. Of Montana's 56 counties, only four have newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Flathead County
| Period | Flathead County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $765 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $799 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $907 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,358 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$593 | +$487 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Flathead County costs $1,358 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Montana overall ($1,189). Rents are up $593 a month from 2006–10, a 78% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 31.7% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Flathead County
Bachelor's degrees in Flathead County
| Period | Flathead County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.6% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.7% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.8% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.7% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.1 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Flathead County as nationally: 36.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 10.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the southwest.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Flathead County
| Period | Flathead County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.1% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.4% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.6% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.5% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Flathead County: 95.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Montana. The share with a diploma has risen 3.4 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Flathead County
| Period | Flathead County | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.0% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Flathead County has been strong: just 3.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 3.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Flathead County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flathead County | 2.53 | 43.7 | 8.3% | 27.6% | 12.1% | 1989 | $1,358 | 36.7% | 95.5% | 3.0% |
| Lincoln County | 2.43 | 51.6 | 7.1% | 22.4% | 17.3% | 1982 | $845 | 18.7% | 89.6% | 5.8% |
| Glacier County | 3.11 | 34.8 | 24.6% | 36.3% | 17.1% | 1971 | $715 | 16.8% | 85.5% | 10.2% |
| Pondera County | 2.64 | 42.2 | 8.9% | 32.3% | 16.4% | 1968 | $799 | 19.5% | 86.0% | 6.4% |
| Boundary County | 2.59 | 44.7 | 9.3% | 24.7% | 10.7% | 1991 | $975 | 23.9% | 85.6% | 3.0% |
| Bonner County | 2.52 | 48.2 | 7.1% | 21.7% | 19.2% | 1989 | $1,229 | 28.9% | 92.4% | 5.0% |
| Teton County | 2.44 | 43.6 | 5.2% | 24.5% | 15.9% | 1964 | $749 | 26.8% | 91.7% | 1.0% |
| Toole County | 2.47 | 39.5 | 5.2% | 36.9% | 18.9% | 1963 | $911 | 22.4% | 86.5% | 4.2% |
| Kootenai County | 2.61 | 42.0 | 9.5% | 28.7% | 9.8% | 1994 | $1,591 | 29.9% | 94.8% | 3.1% |
| Pend Oreille County | 2.38 | 49.0 | 8.9% | 19.2% | 22.7% | 1984 | $906 | 20.5% | 93.9% | 6.9% |
| Liberty County | 2.51 | 39.1 | 8.5% | 36.6% | 13.6% | 1966 | $720 | 27.0% | 83.3% | 0.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Ashtabula County, OH · Bastrop County, TX · Bay County, MI · Marshall County, AL · Pennington County, SD · Ontario County, NY · Newton County, GA · Nevada County, CA · Navajo County, AZ · Nash County, NC
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Flathead County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.