Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,445.
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. 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.
Where Big Sky beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Big Sky | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.8% | 12.3% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Ophir Elementary School | PK–5 | 169 |
| Ophir 7-8 | 6–8 | 100 |
| Lone Peak High School | 9–12 | 117 |
2,308 counted in 2010 and 3,591 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Montana), ordered by how far Big Sky is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,221 in 2000, 3,591 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 2 maps from 1950 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Big Sky is unincorporated, so Gallatin 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 Sky.
The share of households in Big Sky who live in a home they own: 84%. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 5.7%. Homes sold in Big Sky spent a median 90 days on the market.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Below: Two of its 4 schools, each with why it was picked. Its public schools are run by Big Sky School K-12. The 3 public schools in Big Sky teach 386 students between them.
| 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
174 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. In Big Sky, the density of trails is 1.5 miles per square mile, where Montana’s towns sit at 0.6 and U.S. towns at 0.4.
| 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
For adults in Big Sky, the share who had a checkup this year is 69%. Among 42 Montana towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Big Sky. Of 32 CDC measures, Big Sky beats the Montana average on 22 and trails it on 3.
| 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% |
| 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% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
In Big Sky, 4.7% of residents live below the poverty line. The town had 5,939 jobs in 2023, up 4,417 from 2013. Only 3 of the 43 Montana towns we compare have a higher share of working residents who work in town than Big Sky. The average trip to work here is 19 minutes.
| 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 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Only 4 of the 42 Montana towns we compare have a higher risk rating from FEMA than Big Sky. Expected losses in Big Sky break down as 70% from avalanches and 13% from inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Big Sky’s midsummer high stands at 78°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
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 ArchYellowstone 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
None within 15 miles of Big Sky; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Big Sky residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
Where Big Sky’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
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)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 20.4 years of the area's median household income ($93,528 across the Bozeman, MT metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
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