The Town FilesHot Springs, Montana
Town in Sanders County · population 557 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $150,900
- Household income
- $21,300
- Jan low / Jul high
- 20° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 34 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 52.0
Hot Springs is a town of 557 people in Sanders County, Montana. The median home is worth $150,900, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). It ranks better transit than 77% of Montana towns, hipper than 73% of Montana towns.
How Hot Springs 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 Hot Springs is worth $150,900, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). Homes cost about 7.1 times the median household income of $21,300, which is more affordable than 13% of Montana towns. Median rent is $725 a month. 64.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Hot Springs | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $150,900 | $249,800 |
| Median rent | $725 | $893 |
| Median household income | $21,300 | $63,249 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.1× | 4.2× |
| Homeownership | 64.2% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1953 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 4.1% | — |
Who lives in Hot Springs
| People | Hot Springs | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 52.0 | 40.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 29.8% | 19.6% |
| Under 18 | 11.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.5% | 25.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 29.2% | 10.9% |
| Veterans | 16.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.2% | — |
| Work from home | 17.4% | 8.5% |
| Average commute | 10.9 min | 19.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 75.0% | 86.6% |
Weather in Hot Springs
July highs average 83.0°F and January lows 20.4°F. About 15.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 33.6 inches of snow (typical Montana town: 44.0 in). Expect about 18 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 153 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Hot Springs since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on May 11, 2025.
Severe weather in Sanders County since 1996
Sanders County has been included in 16 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 |
| December 19, 2025 | Flood | EM-3630: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| August 19, 2023 | Fire | FM-5480: River Road East Fire |
| March 31, 2020 | Biological | DR-4508: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3476: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Sanders County
Sanders County had 3,306 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $45,909 a year. Unemployment was 4.8% in 2023; in Hot Springs itself the ACS puts it at 8.2%.
Public schools in Hot Springs
3 public schools with 159 students, about 9.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs School | PK-6 | 90 | 11.3 |
| Hot Springs High School | 9-12 | 51 | 8.5 |
| Hot Springs 7-8 | 7-8 | 18 | 9.0 |
Towns near Hot Springs
- Plains, MT14.4 mi · 1,106 people · home $248,300
- Polson, MT25.1 mi · 5,148 people · home $356,300
- Pablo, MT26.2 mi · 2,138 people · home $256,700
- Ronan, MT27.1 mi · 1,955 people · home $225,500
- Finley Point, MT29.3 mi · 532 people · home $555,100
Hot Springs questions
Is Hot Springs, Montana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Hot Springs scores better for retirees than 47% of Montana towns and quieter than 64%. 29.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 52.0).
How much does a house cost in Hot Springs?
The median owner-occupied home in Hot Springs is valued at $150,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $21,300, so homes cost about 7.1 times income. Median rent is $725 a month.
What is the weather like in Hot Springs?
July highs average 83.0°F and January lows 20.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 15.7 inches of precipitation a year and 33.6 inches of snow.
Does Hot Springs get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Hot Springs in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- 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)