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Montana›Lake County

ArleeMT

A town of 812, settled in 1885.

Is Arlee a good place to live?

No town among the 43 in Montana we compare has a higher average trip to work than Arlee. Arlee has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

812 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Getting set up

Moving to Arlee: who provides what

Arlee is unincorporated, so Lake County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerNorthWestern Energy14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterArlee water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers39% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLake CountyLake County provides services here
SchoolsArlee Elementary School DistrictArlee High School District2 districts serve Arlee; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteIn personMontana has no online registration; you can register in person up to and including Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereLake County Election AdministratorLake County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code5982159821 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Arlee.

Who lives here

More children than Montana overall

Children under 18 are 33% of residents (21% statewide); people 65 and older are 13% of residents (20% statewide). Arlee’s median age is 32.3 years, where Montana’s towns sit at 38.9 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Montana.

32.3median age · MT 40.4
ArleeMontana townsU.S. towns
Median age32.3 years38.9 years40.5 years
Aged 65 or older13%19%18%
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+32%30%29%
ArleeMontanaUnited States

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma10%
High school15%
Some college31%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate12%

Women and men · all residents

40% women, 60% men

About 151 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±9.5 points). Across Montana, 49.3% of residents are women.

Ages and education in Arlee
ArleeMTU.S.
Under 1018.8%11%11.6%
10 to 1714.5%10%10.3%
18 to 245%9%9.1%
25 to 3417%12.9%13.7%
35 to 4418.2%12.9%13.2%
45 to 544.2%11.1%12.2%
55 to 649.2%13%12.7%
65 to 748.5%12.4%10.2%
75 and older4.4%7.8%7%
No diploma10%5.4%10.4%
High school15%27.5%26%
Some college31%22.4%19.1%
Associate’s11.8%9.6%8.8%
Bachelor’s20.2%23.2%21.6%
Graduate12%12%14.1%

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points

Schools

The schools Arlee’s kids attend

Its public schools are run by the Arlee Elementary District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Arlee ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6Grades PK–6206C−
Arlee High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12Grades 9–12135D−

NCES · EDFacts

Climate

Arlee has snowy winters and pleasant summers

Arlee has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 19° and about 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.

43″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter19–35°
Spring33–58°
Summer49–81°
Fall33–57°
Sep 26
typical first frost
May 16
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazards

Arlee faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by avalanches

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities.

66risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
66High riskLowerHigher
AvalanchesInland floodingCold waves

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Work & commute

About one in nine working residents works right in Arlee

Most working residents leave Arlee for work: only 11% work in town. Since 2013, Arlee has added 28 jobs, to 220 in 2023. 13% of Arlee residents live below the poverty line, above both Montana’s towns (10%) and U.S. towns (9.6%).

11%work in town
ArleeMontana townsU.S. towns
Working residents who work in town11%39%8%
Below the poverty line13%10%9.6%
Median household income$58,000$67,000$80,000

Where working residents work

In Arlee11%
Missoula29%
Polson15%
Wye3%
St. Ignatius2%
21 mi
median commute distance
220
jobs based in Arlee
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Health

How healthy Arlee is

Arlee beats the Montana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 17% of Arlee adults report frequent physical distress. Among 42 Montana towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Arlee.

ArleeMontana townsU.S. towns
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)17%14%14%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)19%14%14%
Food insecurity (CDC PLACES)21%12%14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)20%18%17%
32 measures vs. Montana
1 better13 too close to call18 worse
What stands outArleeMT
Fewer adults who have had cancer8.1%9.3%
More adults facing a utility shut-off11.8%6.5%
St. Patrick Hospital
20.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Housing

Homes in Arlee are worth about $515K, by Zillow’s estimate

The typical Arlee home is worth about $515,000, up 1.2% in a year, 10% above the Montana typical home. 60% of households own their home in Arlee.

$515KZillow home value
ArleeMontana townsU.S. towns
Households that own their home60%64%73%
Median rent$890 a month$1,000 a month$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Arlee$515K
Montana$467K
+1.2%
value change, 1 year

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Outdoors

Conserved land covers 2.1% of Arlee

1.3 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Only 4 of the 43 Montana towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Arlee. The trail density in Arlee is 0.2 miles per square mile.

2.1%conserved
ArleeMontana townsU.S. towns
Conserved land2.1%9.2%4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile0.2 miles per square mile0.60.4
2.1%
conserved · 86 of 4,112 acres
1.3 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Nearby attractions

Lake Missoula and 5 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Arlee. Close and well known come first.

All 8 attractions →
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Lake Missoula: USGS, Public domain · CSKT Bison Range: Paul Frederickson, CC BY 2.5 · Wilma Theater: Publichall, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Montana Museum of Art & Culture: DocFreeman24, CC BY-SA 4.0

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Arlee

17pages on Arlee
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Arlee; the nearest are

Questions about Arlee

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Arlee, MT a good place to live?

Arlee has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.