The Town FilesChinook, Montana
City in Blaine County · population 1,185 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $214,700
- Household income
- $61,750
- Jan low / Jul high
- 4° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 41 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 44.8
Chinook is a city of 1,185 people in Blaine County, Montana. The median home is worth $214,700, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 95% of Montana towns, more upscale than 84% of Montana towns, better for retirees than 83% of Montana towns.
How Chinook 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 Chinook is worth $214,700, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $61,750, which is more affordable than 68% of Montana towns. Median rent is $763 a month. 79.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Chinook | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $214,700 | $249,800 |
| Median rent | $763 | $893 |
| Median household income | $61,750 | $63,249 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.5× | 4.2× |
| Homeownership | 79.7% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1957 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 3.2% | — |
Who lives in Chinook
| People | Chinook | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.8 | 40.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 24.0% | 19.6% |
| Under 18 | 30.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.8% | 25.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.4% | 10.9% |
| Veterans | 4.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.4% | — |
| Work from home | 13.0% | 8.5% |
| Average commute | 11.2 min | 19.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 84.0% | 86.6% |
Weather in Chinook
July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 4.2°F. About 13.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 41.0 inches of snow (typical Montana town: 44.0 in). Expect about 24 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 195 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Chinook since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Montana town. The strongest, an F1, struck on July 8, 2002 about 0.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 8, 2002.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 9 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on July 30, 2023.
Severe weather in Blaine County since 1996
Blaine County has been included in 13 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 |
| July 18, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4801: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
| August 12, 2023 | Flood | DR-4726: Flooding |
| March 31, 2020 | Biological | DR-4508: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3476: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Blaine County
Blaine County had 1,319 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,033 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Chinook itself the ACS puts it at 6.2%.
Public schools in Chinook
3 public schools with 322 students, about 12.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meadowlark School | PK-6 | 149 | 11.5 |
| Chinook High School | 9-12 | 118 | 13.1 |
| Chinook 7-8 | 7-8 | 55 | 13.8 |
Towns near Chinook
- Havre North, MT20.2 mi · 726 people · home $165,400
- Havre, MT20.7 mi · 9,362 people · home $211,700
- Harlem, MT20.8 mi · 769 people · home $100,800
- Fort Belknap Agency, MT27.6 mi · 1,567 people · home $72,700
Chinook questions
Is Chinook, Montana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Chinook scores better for retirees than 83% of Montana towns and quieter than 39%. 24.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.8).
How much does a house cost in Chinook?
The median owner-occupied home in Chinook is valued at $214,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $61,750, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $763 a month.
What is the weather like in Chinook?
July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 4.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 13.4 inches of precipitation a year and 41.0 inches of snow.
Does Chinook get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Chinook since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on July 8, 2002. 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)