Crail Ranch Buildings · National Register of Historic Places
Big Sky’s story
Big Sky in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2010.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Big SkyMT
A town of 2,445.
Photo: Greg Gjerdingen · CC BY 2.0
Population
2,445
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$1.91M
+5.7% in a year
Household income
$139K
median
Median age
38.4
years
Jobs based here
5,939
A job hub
Is Big Sky a good place to live?
The best of Big Sky’s subject grades are an A+ for health, an A for schools, and an A− for walkability; the weakest is a C− for hazard risk. Big Sky’s typical home value is $1,906,000, above both the Montana town median ($385,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($332,000). No town in Montana scores higher than Big Sky on health. 49% of the land in Big Sky is conserved, against 9.2% in Montana’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Lee Metcalf Wilderness, 13,693 acres with 9.8 miles of trail. Big Sky has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Big Sky stand out
Where Big Sky beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here5,939
Residents who work1,966
Work
3 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 98% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
32 measures vs. Montana
22 better7 too close to call3 worse
| Widest gap | Big Sky | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.8% | 12.3% |
HealthA+
Healthier than 97% of U.S. towns
Beats MT on 22 of 32 CDC measures, trails it on 3
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Big Sky School K-12
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Ophir Elementary School | PK–5 | 169 |
| Ophir 7-8 | 6–8 | 100 |
| Lone Peak High School | 9–12 | 117 |
SchoolsA
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
A growing town
Big Sky has grown 56% from 2010 to 2020
2,308 counted in 2010 and 3,591 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Big Sky grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Montana), ordered by how far Big Sky is from typical.
HealthBozeman Health Big Sky Medical Center 16.2 miles awayA+Open →SchoolsAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 6.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA−Open →Hazard riskavalanches tops the listC−Open →Jobs & incomeA−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $1.91M, 20.4 years of the Bozeman metro’s $94K median household incomeC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 78° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market90 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 38.4; 59% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Big Sky: who provides what
Big Sky is unincorporated, so Gallatin County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNorthWestern Energy14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBig Sky County Water and Sewer Dist 363No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesGallatin CountyGallatin County provides services here
SchoolsBig Sky School K-12Ennis K-12 Schools2 districts serve Big Sky; 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.govWho runs elections hereGallatin County Election AdministratorGallatin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2024
ZIP codes59716, 5973059716 81% · 59730 19%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 Big Sky.
HousingCost of living grade C+
For cost of living, Big Sky earns a C+
84% of Big Sky households own their home. Typical home values rose 5.7% in the year to September 2026. The typical Big Sky home is worth about $1,906,000, up 5.7% in a year, 4 times the Montana typical home.
$1.91MZillow home value
Typical home value
Big Sky$1.91M
Montana$467K
Market temperature
90
days on market
+5.7%
value change, 1 year
14
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsA
On state tests, Big Sky’s schools beat 88% of Montana districts
Its public schools are run by Big Sky School K-12. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
88%of MT districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ophir Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 169 | B+ |
| Lone Peak High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 117 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MT on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsB+
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Big Sky
174 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The trail density in Big Sky is 1.5 miles per square mile.
49.2%conserved
49.2%
conserved · 37,632 of 76,443 acres
174 mi
of trails · 1.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lee Metcalf Wilderness | 9.8 mi | 13,693 |
| 2. Gallatin Wildlife Management Area | 0.1 mi | 131 |
| 3. Town Center Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthA+
Big Sky stands out in Montana and nationally, with fewer of its adults who get no exercise outside work
12% of adults get no exercise outside work in Big Sky. Only 3 of the 42 Montana towns we compare have a higher share of adults who binge drink than Big Sky. 28% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Big Sky.
97%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Big Sky | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 32% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 72% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 21% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Montana
22 better7 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Big Sky | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.8% | 12.3% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4% | 7% |
| More binge drinkers | 24.7% | 20.3% |
Bozeman Health Big Sky Medical Center
16.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
In Big Sky, the median household income runs higher than in the typical Montana or U.S. town
Big Sky’s median household income is $139,000. Among 43 Montana towns, just 2 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Big Sky. Jobs based in Big Sky grew to 5,939 in 2023, 4,417 more than in 2013.
68%work in town
| Big Sky | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 68% | 39% | 8% |
| Median household income | $139,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.7% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Big Sky68%
Bozeman4%
Billings2%
Missoula2%
Bridger2%
5 mi
median commute distance
5,939
jobs based in Big Sky
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 81% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Avalanches leads a high hazard risk in Big Sky
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Big Sky
Big Sky has cold winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Among 43 Montana towns, just 2 have a lower July high than Big Sky.
78°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–31°
Spring23–49°
Summer40–74°
Fall25–52°
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
78°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nearby attractions
All 15 attractions →Yellowstone National Park and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Big Sky. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi National ParkYellowstone National Park4.8M visitors a yearin town Ski areaBig Sky Resort455 runs · 4,346 ft vertical
28 mi LakeQuake Lake5 mi Ski areaYellowstone Club99 runs · 2,665 ft vertical
31 mi MuseumMuseum of the Rockies
34 mi LandmarkRoosevelt ArchSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Yellowstone National Park: James St. John from Newark, Ohio, CC BY 2.0 · Quake Lake: Staplegunther at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Museum of the Rockies: Jllm06, Public domain · Roosevelt Arch: Yellowstone National Park, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Big Sky
17pages on Big Sky
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Big Sky; the nearest are
Montana State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bozeman31.5 mi$8,460 in-state tuitionHighlands College of Montana TechCommunity college · Public · Butte73.9 mi$4,130 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Big Sky residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
A job hub
Every workday, about 4,600 people come to Big Sky for work
Where Big Sky’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5,939jobs based in Big Sky
68%of working residents work in town
5 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Big Sky
Census-designated place in Montana, United States
Big Sky is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Gallatin and Madison counties in southwestern Montana, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 3,591, up from 2,308 in 2010. It is 45 miles (72 km) by road southwest of Bozeman. The primary industry of the area is tourism.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 120 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7,218 ft
- ZIP code
- 59716
- Area code
- 406
Questions about Big Sky
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Big Sky, MT expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.