The Town FilesArlee, Montana
Community in Lake County · population 720 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $261,400
- Household income
- $57,500
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 46 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 32.3
Arlee is a community of 720 people in Lake County, Montana. The median home is worth $261,400, close to the typical Montana town ($249,800).
How Arlee ranks
Percentile among Montana towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Montana towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Arlee is worth $261,400, close to the typical Montana town ($249,800). Homes cost about 4.5 times the median household income of $57,500, which is more affordable than 44% of Montana towns. Median rent is $890 a month. 59.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Arlee | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $261,400 | $249,800 |
| Median rent | $890 | $893 |
| Median household income | $57,500 | $63,249 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.5× | 4.2× |
| Homeownership | 59.8% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1981 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.4% | — |
Who lives in Arlee
| People | Arlee | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.3 | 40.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.9% | 19.6% |
| Under 18 | 33.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.2% | 25.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.3% | 10.9% |
| Veterans | 9.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 18.0% | 8.5% |
| Average commute | 26.8 min | 19.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.7% | 86.6% |
Weather in Arlee
July highs average 86.0°F and January lows 22.6°F. About 16.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 45.8 inches of snow (typical Montana town: 44.0 in). Expect about 20 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 152 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Arlee since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Montana town. The strongest, an F0, struck on March 3, 1991 about 4.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 3, 1991.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 6 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on July 23, 2002.
Severe weather in Lake County since 1996
Lake County has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2026 | Straight-Line Winds | DR-4902: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds |
| March 31, 2020 | Biological | DR-4508: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3476: Covid-19 |
| May 24, 2019 | Flood | DR-4437: Flooding |
| April 17, 2014 | Flood | DR-4172: Ice Jams And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Lake County
Lake County had 9,768 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,280 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Arlee itself the ACS puts it at 10.4%.
Public schools in Arlee
3 public schools with 387 students, about 10.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlee Elementary | PK-6 | 193 | 10.7 |
| Arlee High School | 9-12 | 140 | 10.0 |
| Arlee 7-8 | 7-8 | 54 | 9.0 |
Towns near Arlee
- St. Ignatius, MT10.4 mi · 768 people · home $250,000
- Frenchtown, MT12.3 mi · 1,958 people · home $475,500
- Wye, MT15.1 mi · 714 people · home $569,100
- Missoula, MT20.5 mi · 73,489 people · home $473,100
- East Missoula, MT20.9 mi · 2,465 people · home $358,500
- Orchard Homes, MT21.7 mi · 5,377 people · home $553,700
- Bonner-West Riverside, MT22.1 mi · 1,690 people · home $210,900
- Ronan, MT24.8 mi · 1,955 people · home $225,500
Arlee questions
Is Arlee, Montana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Arlee scores better for retirees than 37% of Montana towns and quieter than 49%. 12.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.3).
How much does a house cost in Arlee?
The median owner-occupied home in Arlee is valued at $261,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $57,500, so homes cost about 4.5 times income. Median rent is $890 a month.
What is the weather like in Arlee?
July highs average 86.0°F and January lows 22.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 16.7 inches of precipitation a year and 45.8 inches of snow.
Does Arlee get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Arlee since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on March 3, 1991. The typical Montana town has had 1.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)