Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,191, settled in 1909.
West Yellowstone’s best subject grades are an A+ for walkability and an A for health and the outdoors; its weakest is a D for incomes. 58% of working residents work locally in West Yellowstone, against 39% in Montana’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. On walkability, just 2 of Montana’s 95 towns do better. West Yellowstone’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile, above both Montana’s towns (0.6) and U.S. towns (0.4). West Yellowstone has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Eagle's Store and Kennedy Building. West Yellowstone has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where West Yellowstone beats most towns.
| Widest gap | West Yellowstone | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9% | 12.3% |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Montana), ordered by how far West Yellowstone is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1925.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around West Yellowstone. Close and well known come first.
Big drawin town National ParkYellowstone National Park4.8M visitors a year
Big draw27 mi MountainYellowstone volcano
19 mi LakeQuake Lake
39 mi LakeYellowstone Lake
30 mi Canyon & gorgeGrand Canyon of the Yellowstone
30 mi WaterfallYellowstone FallsYellowstone National Park: James St. John from Newark, Ohio, CC BY 2.0 · Yellowstone volcano: Ed Austin/Herb Jones, Public domain · Quake Lake: Staplegunther at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Yellowstone Lake: NASA, Public domain · Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Yellowstone Falls: Unknown, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in West Yellowstone, 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 West Yellowstone.
West Yellowstone’s average trip to work is 9 minutes. Since 2013, West Yellowstone has added 88 jobs, to 980 in 2023. 13% of residents live below the poverty line in West Yellowstone.
| West Yellowstone | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 9 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the West Yellowstone K-12 school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Yellowstone SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 127 | B |
| West Yellowstone HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 60 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MT on state tests and graduation
West Yellowstone beats the Montana average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 69% of West Yellowstone adults had a checkup this year. Among 42 Montana towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than West Yellowstone.
| West Yellowstone | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 72% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 32% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | West Yellowstone | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9% | 12.3% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 5.4% | 7% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 69.1% | 73.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical West Yellowstone home is worth about $660,000, up 6.3% in a year, 41% above the Montana typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 77% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
West Yellowstone has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in West Yellowstone is 77°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among 27 Montana towns, just 2 have a lower violent crime rate than West Yellowstone.
| West Yellowstone | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.1 per 1,000 residents | 14.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Linear Park | 0.3 mi | 8 |
| 2. Heritage Park | — | 8 |
| 3. Recreation Park | 0.1 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of West Yellowstone; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 West Yellowstone residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
Where West Yellowstone’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in West Yellowstone on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Montana, United States
West Yellowstone is a town in Gallatin County, Montana, United States, adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. The population was 1,272 at the 2020 census. West Yellowstone is served by Yellowstone Airport. It is part of the Bozeman, MT Micropolitan Statistical Area. West Yellowstone offers lodging, gift shops, and other services to travelers visiting nearby Yellowstone National Park.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 7.1 years of the area's median household income ($93,528 across the Bozeman, 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.
