Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
This town of 190 people was settled in 1911.
50% of residents live below the poverty line in Big Arm, where Montana’s towns sit at 10% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. No town among the 43 in Montana we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Big Arm. Big Arm’s trail density is 2.4 miles per square mile, above both the Montana town median (0.6) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Big Arm School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Big Arm has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Big Arm is unincorporated, so Lake County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Big Arm.
The typical Big Arm home is worth about $893,000, about the same as a year ago, 91% above the Montana typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
In Big Arm, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 78 of 100. FEMA puts 42% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to avalanches, and 25% to inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Summer afternoons peak near 83° in July, and January nights bottom out around 20°; snowfall runs to about 34 inches a winter. Big Arm brings chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The top destinations are Polson (43%), Missoula (14%) and Kalispell (4%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The share of adults in Big Arm who report frequent physical distress: 17%. Among 42 Montana towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Big Arm.
| Big Arm | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 72% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | Big Arm | MT |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 9.6% | 6.5% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 10.9% | 7.5% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 16.8% | 11.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Only 3 of the 43 Montana towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Big Arm. 13 miles of trail.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Big Arm; the nearest are
College town 16 of every 100 Big Arm residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
Census-designated place in Montana, United States
Big Arm is a census-designated place (CDP) in Lake County, Montana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Big Arm had a population of 218. The town is situated on the south side of Big Arm, a large bay on Flathead Lake, hence its name. The name was used by the Kootenai people, who lived there prior to the town being established. The post office opened in 1911, with Marion F. Lamb as postmaster. Big Arm State Park is located just north of the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Big Arm has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.