1.6% of working residents work locally in Charlo, below both Montana’s towns (39%) and U.S. towns (8%). No town among the 43 in Montana we compare has a higher mean commuting time than Charlo. Charlo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

306 people, and everyone knows the way

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

Nearby towns

Ronan · 7 mi St. Ignatius · 9 mi Polson · 17 mi

Getting set up

Moving to Charlo: who provides what

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

PowerNorthWestern Energy14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterConsolidated Charlo Lake Co W and S DistNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet2 providers86% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & county servicesLake CountyLake County provides services here

SchoolsCharlo Elementary School District Charlo High School District2 districts serve Charlo; 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 code5982459824 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 Charlo.

Work & commute

Most of Charlo’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them

17% of residents live below the poverty line in Charlo. Just 2% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. The town’s middle household income comes in at $40,000. The top destinations are Polson (14%), Missoula (13%) and Ronan (12%).

2%work in town

	Charlo	Montana towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	17%	10%	9.6%
Median household income	$40,000	$67,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Charlo2%

Polson14%

Missoula13%

Ronan12%

St. Ignatius5%

17 mi

median commute distance

jobs based in Charlo

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageCharlo’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here82 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work2% work in Charlo Commute times31 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 17 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Schools

The schools Charlo’s kids attend

Its three schools are below. Public schools: the Charlo Elementary District. The 3 public schools in Charlo teach 217 students between them.

School	Level	Students	Letter
Charlo ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5	Grades PK–5	89	A
Charlo High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	80	C
Charlo 6-8Top results in townGrades 6–8	Grades 6–8	48	A⁻

Full pageCharlo’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsCharlo Elem Every school3 schools · Charlo Elementary Questions“Are Charlo’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Climate

Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Charlo’s year

Expect July afternoons of 84° and January nights of 21°, with about 34 inches of snow a winter.

34″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter21–35°

Spring34–58°

Summer51–80°

Fall35–57°

Oct 2

typical first frost

May 12

typical last frost

+1.3°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageCharlo’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 84°, January lows 21°Rain & snow34″ of snow a winter · 19 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.3° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Housing

A typical Charlo home is worth about $553K

Charlo’s typical rent stands at $843 a month. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 3.9% in value. Among households here, 68% own their home.

$553KZillow home value

	Charlo	Montana towns	U.S. towns
Median rent	$843 a month	$1,000 a month	$1,185 a month
Households that own their home	68%	64%	73%

Typical home value

Charlo$553K

Montana$467K

+3.9%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in September

Full pageCharlo’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 3.9% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 13.7 years of income Rents$843 a month · Median rent

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

Outdoors

In Charlo, 12.8% of the land is conserved

Walkers can cover 0.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. In Charlo, the density of trails is 0.3 miles per square mile. This Montana town has one park or preserve, 6 acres in all.

12.8%conserved

12.8%

conserved · 163 of 1,273 acres

0.6 mi

of trails · 0.3 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Ninepipe Wildlife Management Area	—	6

Full pageCharlo’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map0.6 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk6 acres · Ninepipe Wildlife Management Area Conserved land12.8% conserved · 163 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Charlo?”

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

Health

How healthy Charlo is

For adults in Charlo, the share who report frequent physical distress is 17%. In Charlo, 18% of adults smoke cigarettes, and 27% have been diagnosed with depression.

	Charlo	Montana towns	U.S. towns
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	17%	14%	14%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	18%	14%	14%
Depression (CDC PLACES)	27%	25%	23%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	19%	18%	17%