Lake County, Montana Demographics 2026

Name: Lake County, Montana Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Lake County, Montana has a population of 32,561, the 9th most populous county in Montana. The median household income is $63,360 and the median home value is $421,800. The poverty rate is 17.2%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Lake County Quick Facts

Population 32,561

Median Household Income $63,360

Median Home Value $421,800

Poverty Rate 17.2%

Unemployment Rate 5.7%

Median Age 44.3 years

Homeownership Rate 75.0%

Affordability Ratio 6.7x

Bachelor's Degree+ 31.5%

High School Graduation 92.8%

Cities/Places 23

Population 32,561 9th of 56

Median Income $63,360 13% lower than state

Poverty Rate 17.2%

Unemployment 5.7%

How Lake County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	32,073	32,561	+1.5%
Median household income	$61,965	$63,360	+2.3%
Median home value	$369,200	$421,800	+14.2%

Median Household Income

Lake

$63,360

$72,509

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Lake

$421,800

$375,800

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 20.9%

$25K-$50K 18.6%

$50K-$100K 31.6%

$100K+ 28.9%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

8.1%

$10K-$15K

4.3%

$15K-$20K

4.3%

$20K-$25K

4.2%

$25K-$30K

2.9%

$30K-$35K

3.8%

$35K-$40K

5.4%

$40K-$45K

3.5%

$45K-$50K

3.1%

$50K-$60K

8.2%

$60K-$75K

9.3%

$75K-$100K

14.2%

$100K-$125K

9.1%

$125K-$150K

5.6%

$150K-$200K

6.3%

$200K+

7.9%

Employment

5.7% Unemployment Rate State: 3.6%|National: 5.2%

55.3% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 75.0%

Renter 25.0%

Affordability Index Expensive

6.7x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $901/mo 17.1% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

22.0%

18-34

17.5%

35-54

22.1%

55-74

28.8%

75+

9.6%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 29 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Lake County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Polson	5,428	$53,418	17.5%	$356,300
Ronan	2,001	$42,298	21.6%	$225,500
Pablo	1,632	$36,400	34.5%	$256,700
St. Ignatius	977	$50,000	21.8%	$250,000
Woods Bay	835	$64,091	10.5%	$512,200
Arlee	812	$57,500	13.3%	$261,400
Lindisfarne	533	N/A	14.3%	$653,800
Finley Point	479	$65,972	18.8%	$555,100
Kerr	463	N/A	27.9%	$558,200
Charlo	306	$40,469	17.3%	$210,800
Elmo	290	N/A	11.7%	N/A
Kings Point	274	$75,147	5.8%	$1,509,100
Bear Dance	220	$84,732	19.6%	$833,300
Jette	218	$49,219	17.9%	$579,900
Swan Lake	211	$82,679	16.1%	$576,400
Big Arm	190	N/A	50.0%	N/A
Rocky Point	151	N/A	0.0%	$643,800
Ravalli	146	$78,922	0.0%	N/A
Rollins	115	$124,063	10.4%	$1,229,200
Dayton	88	$100,313	6.8%	$1,250,000
Lake Mary Ronan	80	$69,583	13.8%	$692,300
Kicking Horse	59	N/A	0.0%	N/A
Turtle Lake	55	N/A	10.9%	N/A

Explore Montana Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Lake County is located in Montana with a total population of 32,561. It is the 9th most populous county out of 56 in Montana. The county encompasses 23 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lake County is 44.3 years. This is 10% higher than the state median of 40.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lake County is $63,360. This is 13% lower than the state median of $72,509. It is also 22% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 17.2%. This is 50% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.5%. The unemployment rate is 5.7%. This is 59% higher than the state rate of 3.6%. The median home value is $421,800. Housing costs are 12% higher than the state median of $375,800. The home-value-to-income ratio of 6.7x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 75.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 9% higher than the state average of 69.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Lake County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 64.6% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 4.3%.

Education

31.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 10% lower than the state rate of 35.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Lake County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Montana and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Lake County, Montana?

Lake County has a population of 32,561, making it the 9th most populous county in Montana.

What is the median income in Lake County?

The median household income in Lake County is $63,360 with a poverty rate of 17.2%.

How many cities are in Lake County, Montana?

Lake County contains 23 Census-designated places.