Map the Block › Places › Montana › Lake County
What are the crime rate and median income in Lake County, Montana?
Lake County averaged 5.9 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 35% higher than the Montana rate (4.4). Median household income is $63,360 and the unemployment rate was 3.3% in August 2026. Population: about 32,561 (Census, 2020-2024).
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Lake County?
Police agencies in Lake County reported an average of 208 violent crimes and 677 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. The violent rate, 5.9 per 1,000 people, is 35% higher than the Montana rate (4.4); nationally it is 3.7. Property crime ran at 16.7 per 1,000, against 17.8 statewide. Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (85%). CDC death records show about 2 homicide deaths a year in the county (6.9 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Lake County | Per 1,000 | Montana per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 208 | 5.9 | 4.4 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 2 | 0.06 | 0.03 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 24 | 0.68 | 0.61 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.17 | 0.22 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 177 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 677 | 16.7 | 17.8 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 62 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 496 | 14.1 | 13.9 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 119 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (5 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Lake County?
Median household income is $63,360, 13% lower than the statewide figure ($72,509). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $421,800, and the median rent is $901 a month. 10.7% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 7.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.3% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 496 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Lake County | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,561 | 1,116,875 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $63,360 | $72,509 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $421,800 | $375,800 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $901 | $1,081 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.7% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 17.2% | 11.5% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 10.7% | 7.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 31.5% | 35.2% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 75.0% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 44.3 | 40.4 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 84.8% | 89.4% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 14.5% | 8.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Lake County?
Lake County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Lake County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
Lake County has 12 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. 8 are rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 4 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Selis Ksanka Qlispe (SKQ) (200 ft) and Crow (99 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Disasters, air and water
Lake County was covered by 1 federal major disaster declaration from 2016 through 2025 (Flood 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 0 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 25 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 1 (highest). NHTSA counted 9 traffic deaths in the county in 2024.
Is there road construction in Lake County?
Montana does not publish an open highway work-zone feed that we can read yet, so road construction in Lake County is not on our map. Check the state's 511 traveler site for current closures.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Lake County?
Lake County has 21 public schools (2024-25) and 5 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 2 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 14 fire or EMS stations and 5 police or sheriff stations. 6 state parks or recreation areas: Big Arm State Park, Finley Point State Park, Lake Mary Ronan State Park, West Shore State Park and Wild Horse Island State Park and 1 more.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Lake County?
Census tribal areas that reach into Lake County: Flathead Reservation.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Lake County
Gun shops
5 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Lake County, plus 19 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). One of them is a pawnshop licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Gambles Hardware (Saint Ignatius), Murdoch's Ranch & Home Supply #10 (Polson), The Depoe Junction LLC (Polson), Walmart #2607 (Polson) and X'Lnt Outdoors Unlimited LLC (Polson).
Liquor stores
3 liquor stores are on the map in Lake County: Montana Agency Liquor Store #101 (Ronan), Montana Agency Liquor Store #54 (Polson) and Montana Agency Liquor Store #74 (St Ignatius).
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Lake County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Lake County?
Lake County averaged 208 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 5.9 per 1,000 residents, 35% higher than the Montana rate (4.4). The property-crime rate was 16.7 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Lake County?
$63,360 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $72,509 for Montana and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Lake County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.3% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 496 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Lake County?
Lake County carries a “Relatively Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
How many nursing homes are in Lake County?
2 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Lake County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flathead County | 110,695 | 3.3 | $73,925 |
| Missoula County | 120,672 | 4.9 | $75,598 |
| Sanders County | 13,285 | 2.4 | $57,476 |
More: Montana statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
Home · Open the map · All places · About the data · Privacy · Terms