Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Kalispell grades C overall, ranked 27th of 41 in Montana, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools outperform 76% of the state's and it has 12 miles of trail. On the other side, homes are expensive, about $556K for a typical one and 7.5 times the Kalispell area’s $74K median household income. 46% of working residents work locally in Kalispell, above both Montana’s towns (37%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Charles E. Conrad Mansion and A. J. Dean House. Kalispell is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 78% of U.S. towns.
Where Kalispell beats most towns.
Its 62 National Register listings are more than in 94% of Montana towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,000 in 1890, 24,558 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1895 and 3 maps from 1962 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Montana), ordered by how far Kalispell is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kalispell, and how to reach them.
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 Kalispell.
Kalispell draws workers from Evergreen and beyond and has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Montana (mostly earthquakes).
19,273 jobs are based in Kalispell, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Kalispell’s average trip to work is 15 minutes. Since 2013, Kalispell has added 3,976 jobs, to 19,273 in 2023. The top destinations are Evergreen (7%), Whitefish (5%) and Missoula (4%).
| Kalispell | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 13% | 7.7% | 11% |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $68,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Kalispell Elementary District. Three of its 16 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalispell Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,049 | A |
| Flathead High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,541 | C+ |
| Edgerton SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 509 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MT on state tests and graduation
12 miles of trail in 29 parks and preserves. The trail density in Kalispell is 0.9 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Kalispell Youth Athletic Complex, at 124 acres.
| Kalispell | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 9.6% | 9.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Woodland Park | 1.9 mi | 44 |
| 2. Kalispell Youth Athletic Complex | 0.9 mi | 124 |
| 3. Lawrence Park | 0.6 mi | 87 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Reported crimes fell from 873 to 700 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within Montana, it does better than 40% of towns.
| Kalispell | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.1 per 1,000 residents | 4.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.1 per 1,000 residents | 14.1 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of Montana towns, with expected losses of about $532 per resident a year; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
Only 3 of the 41 Montana towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Kalispell. Since 1980, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Kalispell.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Kalispell Glacier Ap weather station, 7 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 100 days, shorter than in 99% of U.S. towns.
Kalispell has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 18° and about 54 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 9,637 U.S. towns with household incomes like Kalispell’s, it is healthier than 88%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Kalispell tracks Montana closely on all 32 CDC measures. 70% of Kalispell adults had a checkup this year.
| Kalispell | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 72% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 10% | 12% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 7.5 years of the Kalispell area’s $74K median household income, the typical home (about $556K) costs more against local pay than in 82% of Montana towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living.
55% of households own their home in Kalispell. The typical Kalispell home is worth about $556,000, up 1.9% in a year, 19% above the Montana typical home.
| Kalispell | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,078 a month | $994 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (37% statewide). Kalispell has grown 27% since 2020, to 31,851 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 35% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Montana.
| Kalispell | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.2 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 24% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 30% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.7 points). Across Montana, 49.3% of residents are women. Median age: women 37.6, men 35.0.
| Kalispell | MT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.7% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.1% | 10% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.7% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.2% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.9% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.6% | 12.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.6% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.7% | 5.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.6% | 27.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 24% | 22.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.9% | 9.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.7% | 23.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.2% | 12% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kalispell. Close and well known come first.
24 mi LakeFlathead Lake19 mi Ski areaWhitefish Mountain Resort137 runs · 2,292 ft vertical21 mi National ParkGlacier National Park3.1M visitors a year14 mi Ski areaBlacktail Mountain Ski Area23 runs · 1,421 ft vertical
17 mi GardenInternational Larix ArboretumFlathead Lake: The original uploader was Cactus.man at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · International Larix Arboretum: Chris Schnepf, University of Idaho, USA, CC BY 3.0 us
1 within 15 miles of the center of Kalispell
About 3 of every 100 Kalispell residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
19,927 counted in 2010 and 24,558 in 2020; an estimated 31,851 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 27% since 2020, after 23.2% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
62 places in Kalispell on the National Register of Historic Places.
35 notable people were born in Kalispell.
City in Montana, United States
Kalispell () is a city in and the county seat of Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2020 census put Kalispell's population at 24,558. The latest estimates put the population at 31,296. Among cities in Montana, it is the 8th largest by area, 7th most populous, and 8th fastest growing from 2010 to 2020. In Montana's northwest region, it is the largest city and the commercial center of the Kalispell Micropolitan Statistical Area. The name Kalispell is a Salish word meaning "flat land above the lake".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Kalispell.
Evergreen reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Kalispell with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Kalispell grades C overall, better than 31% of U.S. towns and #27 of 41 in Montana. It grades B+ for health, C− for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within Montana, it does better than 40% of towns.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
35 notable people were born here, including Michelle Williams and Margaret Qualley.
