FortineMT
351 people live in this town, settled in 1905.
Is Fortine a good place to live?
Fortine’s typical journey to work is 58 minutes, above both Montana’s towns (17 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 3 of the 43 Montana towns we compare have a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Fortine. Fortine’s density of trails is 1.8 miles per square mile, above both the Montana town median (0.6) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest park or preserve is Kootenai National Forest, at 322 acres. Fortine has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
351 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Fortine: who provides what
Fortine is unincorporated, so Lincoln 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Fortine.
The FEMA risk score in Fortine is higher than in most of Montana or the rest of the country
FEMA puts two fifths of Fortine’s expected hazard losses down to wildfires, and 34% to avalanches. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 86% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The schools Fortine’s kids attend
One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by the Fortine Elementary District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fortine SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 44 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Fewer children than Montana overall
Four-year graduates: 27% of adults 25 and older here, 35% across Montana. Children under 18 are 13% of residents (21% statewide); people 65 and older are 27% of residents (20% statewide).
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
46% women, 54% men
About 119 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.8 points). Across Montana, 49.3% of residents are women.
| Fortine | MT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.7% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.4% | 10% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.3% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.7% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.2% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.3% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.9% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 22.5% | 12.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.7% | 5.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 44.1% | 27.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.9% | 22.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.4% | 9.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.3% | 23.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 1.7% | 12% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
Most working residents commute out of Fortine
Since 2013, Fortine has added 75 jobs, to 114 in 2023. Fortine: 4.5% of working residents work locally. The top destinations are Eureka (23%), Missoula (5%) and Whitefish (4%). Half of commuters travel less than 12 miles.
| Fortine | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 4.5% | 39% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Fortine stands out in Montana and nationally, with fewer of its adults who feel lonely
33% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Fortine. Among 42 Montana towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Fortine. The town beats the Montana average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
| Fortine | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 31% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 32% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 72% | 79% |
| What stands out | Fortine | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 6% | 7.5% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.2% | 6.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.7% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kootenai National Forest | 0.5 mi | 322 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Fortine
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Fortine; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Fortine residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
Questions about Fortine
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Fortine, MT a good place to live?
Fortine has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.