West KootenaiMT
494 people live in this town in Montana.
Is West Kootenai a good place to live?
3% of working residents work locally in West Kootenai, where Montana’s towns sit at 39% and U.S. towns at 8%. Of the 43 Montana towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than West Kootenai. 61% of the land in West Kootenai is conserved, above both Montana’s towns (9.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Kootenai National Forest, at 936 acres with 2.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. West Kootenai has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
494 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to West Kootenai: who provides what
West Kootenai 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 West Kootenai.
Open space protected for good: nearly a third of West Kootenai
Across 2 parks and preserves run 50 miles of trail. The density of trails for West Kootenai is 3.1 miles per square mile. Walkers locally have 1,846 acres of parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kootenai West Wildlife Management Area | 3.9 mi | 910 |
| 2. Kootenai National Forest | 2.6 mi | 936 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades 1–8 | Grades 1–8 | 33 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
The FEMA risk score in West Kootenai is higher than in most of Montana or the rest of the country
Expected losses in West Kootenai break down as 40% from wildfires and 34% from avalanches.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The average trip to work in West Kootenai is longer than in the typical Montana or U.S. town
West Kootenai’s median household income is $94,000. The top destinations are Eureka (23%), Missoula (5%) and Kalispell (3%). Half of commuters travel less than 13 miles.
| West Kootenai | Typical Montana town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $94,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In West Kootenai, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 35 inches of snow, with January nights at 18° and July afternoons at 83°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy West Kootenai is
For adults in West Kootenai, the share who binge drink is 20%. Of 32 CDC measures, West Kootenai beats the Montana average on 2 and trails it on 5. Among 42 Montana towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than West Kootenai. 15% of adults in West Kootenai report frequent mental distress; 38% have high blood pressure.
| West Kootenai | Typical Montana town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 31% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 32% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 72% | 79% |
| What stands out | West Kootenai | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 6.1% | 7.5% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 85.4% | 82.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.4% | 12.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median home in West Kootenai sells for about $488K
The share of households in West Kootenai who are owner-occupiers is 82%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about West Kootenai
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of West Kootenai; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 West Kootenai residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
97% of working residents leave West Kootenai for work
Where West Kootenai’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About West Kootenai
Census-designated place in Montana, United States
West Kootenai is a census-designated place (CDP) in Lincoln County, Montana, United States. As of the 2020 census, West Kootenai had a population of 422.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 16 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,785 ft
Questions about West Kootenai
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is West Kootenai, MT a good place to live?
West Kootenai has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. 494 people live in this town in Montana.