The Town FilesWoods Bay, Montana
Community in Lake County · population 676 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $512,200
- Household income
- $64,091
- Jan low / Jul high
- 25° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 49 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 58.4
Woods Bay is a community of 676 people in Lake County, Montana. The median home is worth $512,200, above the typical Montana town ($249,800). It ranks quieter than 100% of Montana towns, better for a vacation home than 99% of Montana towns, better for retirees than 97% of Montana towns.
How Woods Bay 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 Woods Bay is worth $512,200, above the typical Montana town ($249,800). Homes cost about 8.0 times the median household income of $64,091, which is more affordable than 9% of Montana towns. Median rent is $1,286 a month. 79.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Woods Bay | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $512,200 | $249,800 |
| Median rent | $1,286 | $893 |
| Median household income | $64,091 | $63,249 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.0× | 4.2× |
| Homeownership | 79.5% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 28.7% | — |
Who lives in Woods Bay
| People | Woods Bay | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 58.4 | 40.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 27.4% | 19.6% |
| Under 18 | 4.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58.6% | 25.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 10.5% | 10.9% |
| Veterans | 7.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.1% | — |
| Work from home | 43.4% | 8.5% |
| Average commute | 31.1 min | 19.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 83.1% | 86.6% |
Weather in Woods Bay
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows 25.2°F. About 21.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 48.6 inches of snow (typical Montana town: 44.0 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 127 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Woods Bay since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Montana town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on November 4, 2013 about 2.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 4, 2013.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 16 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 25, 2011.
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 Woods Bay itself the ACS puts it at 0.4%.
Towns near Woods Bay
- Bigfork, MT4.9 mi · 5,118 people · home $674,600
- Lakeside, MT7.6 mi · 2,705 people · home $720,100
- Somers, MT9.0 mi · 1,049 people · home $465,400
- Evergreen, MT17.6 mi · 8,149 people · home $340,800
- Finley Point, MT18.3 mi · 532 people · home $555,100
- Kalispell, MT18.4 mi · 24,558 people · home $428,000
- Helena Flats, MT19.9 mi · 1,206 people · home $582,400
- Polson, MT22.7 mi · 5,148 people · home $356,300
Woods Bay questions
Is Woods Bay, Montana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Woods Bay scores better for retirees than 97% of Montana towns and quieter than 100%. 27.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 58.4).
How much does a house cost in Woods Bay?
The median owner-occupied home in Woods Bay is valued at $512,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $64,091, so homes cost about 8.0 times income. Median rent is $1,286 a month.
What is the weather like in Woods Bay?
July highs average 79.7°F and January lows 25.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 21.4 inches of precipitation a year and 48.6 inches of snow.
Does Woods Bay get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Woods Bay since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on November 4, 2013. 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)