Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 9,358, settled in 1890. Public schools that outperform most of Montana.
Trash & recyclingFor most people who can afford it, yes. Whitefish grades B+ overall, ranked 5th of 41 in Montana. Its public schools beat 92% of Montana towns on state tests and graduation and residents are healthier than 92% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $870K for a typical one and 11.8 times the Kalispell area’s $74K median household income. 57% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Whitefish, where Montana’s towns sit at 30% and U.S. towns at 29%. Whitefish is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 88% of U.S. towns. Whitefish has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Ray E. Taylor House and First Presbyterian Church of Whitefish.
Where Whitefish beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| L A Muldown School | PK–4 | 661 |
| Whitefish Christian Academy | PK–8 | 138 |
| Whitefish Middle 5-8 | 5–8 | 657 |
6,357 counted in 2010 and 7,751 in 2020; an estimated 9,358 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 20.2% since 2020, after 21.9% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Montana), ordered by how far Whitefish is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 640 in 1890, a low of 417 in 1910, 7,751 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1927 and 3 maps from 1962 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Whitefish, 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 Whitefish.
Whitefish fares better on crime within Montana than nationally, is among the three healthiest towns in Montana and has schools in the top 5% of Montana.
At 11.8 years of the Kalispell area’s $74K median household income, the typical home (about $871K) costs more against local pay than in any other Montana town; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. The typical value, about $871K, is 8% below its July 2022 peak.
Among 41 Montana towns, just 4 have a higher median rent than Whitefish. The typical Whitefish home is worth about $871,000, up 1.8% in a year, 86% above the Montana typical home. 62% of households own their home in Whitefish.
| Whitefish | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,354 a month | $994 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 65% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A ranks #3 of the 41 Montana towns we grade for schools. Its A for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $871K.
Its public schools are run by the Whitefish Elementary District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| L A Muldown SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 661 | A |
| Whitefish High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 618 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MT on state tests and graduation
5,453 jobs are based in Whitefish, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 4,011 in 2013 to 5,453.
About one in 3 of Whitefish’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Whitefish is 17 minutes. Since 2013, Whitefish has added 1,442 jobs, to 5,453 in 2023.
| Whitefish | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 37% | 41% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $66,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
It ranks #2 of the 41 Montana towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade.
28% of Whitefish adults feel lonely. Whitefish beats the Montana average on 18 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 21% of Whitefish adults binge drink.
| Whitefish | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 21% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | Whitefish | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.1% | 12.3% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.1% | 11.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Whitefish since 2018.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
7.6 miles of trail in 13 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Smith Fields Sports Complex, at 49 acres.
| Whitefish | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 5.8% | 9.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Armory Park | 0.8 mi | 29 |
| 2. Smith Fields Sports Complex | — | 49 |
| 3. Memorial Park | 0.1 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Whitefish weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 129 days, shorter than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Whitefish has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Whitefish’s July high is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 18.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 88% of Montana’s graded towns.
Only 2 of the 26 Montana towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Whitefish.
| Whitefish | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 4.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.3 per 1,000 residents | 15.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Whitefish. Close and well known come first.
39 mi LakeFlathead Lake4 mi Ski areaWhitefish Mountain Resort137 runs · 2,292 ft vertical
39 mi MountainTriple Divide Peak11 mi National ParkGlacier National Park3.1M visitors a year29 mi Ski areaBlacktail Mountain Ski Area23 runs · 1,421 ft vertical
34 mi MuseumLogan Pass Visitor CenterFlathead Lake: The original uploader was Cactus.man at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Triple Divide Peak: Eggbones, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Logan Pass Visitor Center: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Whitefish
About 3 of every 100 Whitefish residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
Where Whitefish’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Whitefish on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Whitefish.
City in Montana, United States
Whitefish (Salish: epɫx̣ʷy̓u, "has whitefish") is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. According to the 2020 United States census, there were 7,751 people in the city.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Whitefish grades B+ overall, better than 68% of U.S. towns and #5 of 41 in Montana. It grades A for health, B− for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
13 notable people were born here, including Constance Towers and Brent Weeks.
