Water37, 2011
Clinton’s story
134 years in pictures
Census counts: 549 in 2000, 1,018 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2011 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
- 1892Clinton is settled
ClintonMT
A town of 1,040, settled in 1892.
Population
1,040
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$541K
+3.1% in a year
Household income
$104K
median
Median age
38.0
years
Jobs based here
127
A commuter town
Is Clinton a good place to live?
Clinton’s best subject grade is an A− for health; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. 2.9% of working residents work locally in Clinton, below both the Montana town median (39%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). On walkability, just 7 of Montana’s 95 towns do worse. On history, just 9 of Montana’s 95 towns do worse. Clinton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,040 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Clinton grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Montana), ordered by how far Clinton is from typical.
Hazard riskavalanches tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.5 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →HealthSt. Patrick Hospital 15 miles awayA−Open →Jobs & incomeA−Open →Cost of livingCOpen →SchoolsBOpen →
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.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 38.0; 35% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Clinton: who provides what
Clinton is unincorporated, so Missoula County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerMissoula Electric Coop10.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLewis and Clark Trailer Court water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMissoula CountyMissoula County provides services here
SchoolsClinton Elementary School DistrictMissoula High School District2 districts serve Clinton; 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 hereMissoula County Election AdministratorMissoula County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2024
ZIP code5982559825 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 Clinton.
HealthA−
Clinton is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns
Clinton beats the Montana average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 23% of adults binge drink in Clinton, against 20% in Montana’s towns and 16% across U.S. towns. 28% of Clinton adults sleep under 7 hours.
80%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Clinton | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 72% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Montana
5 better27 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Clinton | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.4% | 6.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 3% | 3.5% |
St. Patrick Hospital
15 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Public schools in Clinton beat 61% of Montana districts
Its public schools are run by the Clinton Elementary District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
61%of MT districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 175 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MT on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Avalanches leads a very high hazard risk in Clinton
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 81% of U.S. communities.
81risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland floodingWildfire
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
More than half of Clinton’s working residents commute to Missoula
Most working residents leave Clinton for work: only 3% work in town. Clinton’s median household income is $104,000. Jobs based in Clinton grew to 127 in 2023, 53 more than in 2013.
3%work in town
| Clinton | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $104,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.8% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Clinton3%
Missoula54%
Bonner-West Riverside4%
Helena3%
Billings3%
16 mi
median commute distance
127
jobs based in Clinton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 15% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Younger than Montana overall
People 65 and older are 10% of residents (20% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 45% of residents (37% statewide). 25% of residents are under 18 in Clinton.
38median age · MT 40.4
| Clinton | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 25% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 30% | 29% |
| Median age | 38 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
ClintonMontanaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
23%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school32%
Some college20%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s27%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
45% women, 55% men
About 124 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.4 points). Across Montana, 49.3% of residents are women.
| Clinton | MT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.3% | 10% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.3% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 22.9% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.5% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 6.8% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.3% | 12.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 1.9% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.3% | 5.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.5% | 27.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 20% | 22.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.8% | 9.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.1% | 23.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.2% | 12% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Clinton
Clinton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 15° and about 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–34°
Spring29–57°
Summer45–80°
Fall29–57°
Sep 26
typical first frost
May 16
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C
Homes in Clinton are worth about $541K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Clinton home is worth about $541,000, up 3.1% in a year, 16% above the Montana typical home. Only 3 of the 43 Montana towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Clinton.
$541KZillow home value
Typical home value
Clinton$541K
Montana$467K
+3.1%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
3.1%conserved
3.1%
conserved · 66 of 2,140 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 8 attractions →Lake Missoula and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Clinton. Close and well known come first.
23 mi LakeLake Missoula22 mi Ski areaMontana Snowbowl64 runs · 2,538 ft vertical
15 mi TheatreWilma Theater
14 mi MuseumMontana Museum of Art & Culture15 mi MuseumMissoula Art MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Missoula: USGS, Public domain · 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 Clinton
17pages on Clinton
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Clinton
About 2 of every 100 Clinton residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Clinton for work
Where Clinton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
127jobs based in Clinton
3%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Clinton
Census-designated place in Montana, United States
Clinton is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the Missoula metropolitan area. The population was 1,018 at the 2020 census. Originally established in 1883 as a stage stop and post office with the name "Betters' Station", the town name was changed in 1892 to honor C. L. Clinton, an official of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,468 ft
- ZIP code
- 59825
Questions about Clinton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Clinton, MT expensive?
That is 7.2 years of the area's median household income ($74,989 across the Missoula, 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.