The Town Files

Lockwood, Montana

Community in Yellowstone County · population 7,195 (2020 Census)

Map: where Lockwood is in MontanaLockwood
Median home
$235,400
Household income
$75,700
Jan low / Jul high
14° / 86°
Snow a year
35 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
8
Median age
37.5

Lockwood is a community of 7,195 people in Yellowstone County, Montana. The median home is worth $235,400, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). It ranks more vibrant than 81% of Montana towns, easier by car than 75% of Montana towns.

Lockwood in our rankings:

How Lockwood 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.

Lockwood lifestyle rankings vs other Montana townsRetirement11th pctFamilies45th pctQuiet30th pctWalkability65th pctFirst-time buyers59th pctYoung professionals21st pctVibrancy81st pctHip & trendy15th pctCollege town33rd pctUpscale42nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit63rd pctDriving75th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Lockwood is worth $235,400, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $75,700, which is more affordable than 77% of Montana towns. Median rent is $1,138 a month. 75.8% of households own their home.

Lockwood vs Yellowstone County vs typical Montana townLockwoodYellowstone CountyTypical Montana townHome value$235,400$349,500$249,800Household income$75,700$76,570$63,249Monthly rent$1,138$1,131$893
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Montana towns with 500+ people.
HousingLockwoodTypical Montana town
Median home value$235,400$249,800
Median rent$1,138$893
Median household income$75,700$63,249
Home value ÷ income3.1×4.2×
Homeownership75.8%70.7%
Median year built19801978
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Lockwood

PeopleLockwoodTypical Montana town
Median age37.540.6
Age 65 and over16.9%19.6%
Under 1822.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher15.4%25.0%
Below the poverty line10.7%10.9%
Veterans7.7%—
Born outside the U.S.0.6%—
Work from home7.7%8.5%
Average commute21.3 min19.1 min
Homes with broadband90.0%86.6%

Weather in Lockwood

July highs average 86.3°F and January lows 14.4°F. About 15.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 35.0 inches of snow (typical Montana town: 44.0 in). Expect about 41 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 157 nights at or below freezing.

Lockwood monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing37°14°Jan41°17°Feb51°25°Mar59°33°Apr68°42°May77°50°Jun86°56°Jul85°54°Aug75°45°Sep60°34°Oct47°24°Nov37°16°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.67.50.64.71.04.91.93.22.50.12.51.30.81.51.61.70.73.10.69.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Billings Wtp station (5.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lockwood since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Montana town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on June 20, 2010 about 4.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 6, 2011.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Lockwood by decade21950s11960s01970s01980s31990s02000s22010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 172 times; the largest was 3.50 inches on June 24, 1991.

Severe weather in Yellowstone County since 1996

Storm events in Yellowstone County since 1996 by typeHail440Flood13Drought2Tornado8High Wind39Lightning4Heavy Rain7Flash Flood24
NOAA Storm Events Database, Yellowstone County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Yellowstone County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 16, 2022FloodDR-4655: Severe Storm And Flooding
July 17, 2021FireFM-5399: Buffalo Wildfire
September 2, 2020FireFM-5344: Bobcat Fire
August 2, 2020FireFM-5324: Falling Star Fire
March 31, 2020BiologicalDR-4508: Covid-19 Pandemic

Jobs and pay in Yellowstone County

Yellowstone County had 87,348 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,688 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Lockwood itself the ACS puts it at 4.4%.

Largest industries in Yellowstone CountyHealth care & social assistan…15,076 jobs · $74,899Retail10,847 jobs · $42,689Hotels & restaurants10,229 jobs · $26,744Construction6,226 jobs · $74,299Wholesale trade5,560 jobs · $85,630Professional & technical serv…4,876 jobs · $92,341
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Yellowstone County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%2000200420082012201620202023Yellowstone 2.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Lockwood

4 public schools with 1,683 students, about 15.2 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Lockwood High School9-1255616.8
Lockwood Middle School6-840115.4
Lockwood PrimaryPK-238714.3
Lockwood Intermediate3-533913.6

Towns near Lockwood

Lockwood questions

Is Lockwood, Montana a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lockwood scores better for retirees than 11% of Montana towns and quieter than 30%. 16.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.5).

How much does a house cost in Lockwood?

The median owner-occupied home in Lockwood is valued at $235,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $75,700, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $1,138 a month.

What is the weather like in Lockwood?

July highs average 86.3°F and January lows 14.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 15.4 inches of precipitation a year and 35.0 inches of snow.

Does Lockwood get tornadoes?

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lockwood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on June 20, 2010. The typical Montana town has had 1.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Lockwood's Census boundary (GEOID 3044200). Comparisons use the median of Montana towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.