1910 · Polson bridge · Wikimedia Commons
Polson’s story
Polson in pictures
6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 1 places on the National Register.
- 1910Polson bridge
- 2005MTMap-doton-Polson
- 2012Polson1
PolsonMT
A town of 5,428. Public schools that outperform most of Montana.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Montanabw · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
5,428
+14.7% since 2010
Typical home
$579K
+1.3% in a year
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
43.0
years
Jobs based here
3,865
A job hub
What makes Polson stand out
The 3 things Polson does most differently from other towns.
CSchool Grade
Schools
Better than 32%
of MT districts
School Grade C.
100 U.S. towns● Polson
Safety
Safer than 4%
of U.S. towns we grade
Safety Grade D−. FBI data, crimes reported to police.
Outdoors
#10 most trails in MT
7.6 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves
11% of the town is conserved land.
A growing town
Polson has grown 14.7% since 2010
4,488 people in 2010; 5,428 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Polson’s report card
SchoolsCBeats 32% of MT districtsSafetyD−Less crime than 4% of U.S. townsOutdoors8 mi#10 for trails in MTCommute5 miHalf of commuters travel lessHousing$579K23% above the MT typical homeHealthBHealthier than 60% of U.S. townsHazards69/100High risk of storm & flood damageClimate83°/20°Summer high · winter low · 34″ snow
Now in Polson
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Polson? Is a D− for safety right?
Your answer becomes a post in Polson’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →62°
Slight Chance Light Rain
H 63° · L 42°
Local news
All →- Developer proposes 90-home subdivision on Polson's south slopeKPAX News · Sep 30
- Glacier vs Hellgate - Girls Junior Varsity Flag Football 09/29/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 29
- Ronan vs Columbia Falls - Girls Varsity Basketball 01/26/2027 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 25
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Polson. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Polson’s public schools outperform 32% of Montana districts
The public schools Polson’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 68% of Montana’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
CSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linderman School | 2–4 | 355 | C+ |
| Cherry Valley School | PK–1 | 243 | Not graded |
| Polson Middle School | 5–8 | 477 | C |
| Polson High School | 9–12 | 517 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MT on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 4% of U.S. towns
Polson reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 96% report less.
D−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Polson10.4
Montana4.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Polson24.5
Montana14.7
U.S.15.5
4th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
3rd
percentile among MT towns
60
violent crimes reported in 2025
141
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Outdoors
11% of Polson is conserved land
7.6 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves.
#10for trails in MT
11%
conserved · 336 of 3,056 acres
7.6 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
#19
most conserved land in MT
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Polson Sports Complex | — | 25 |
| 2. O'Malley Park | — | 10 |
| 3. Riverside Park | 0.1 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Work & commute
About one in two working residents works right in Polson
43% of Polson’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Missoula (7%), Ronan (6%) and Kalispell (5%). Half commute less than 5 miles.
43%work in town
Where working residents work
In Polson43%
Missoula7%
Ronan6%
Kalispell5%
Pablo3%
5 mi
median commute distance
3,865
jobs based in Polson
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Polson home is worth about $579K
The typical Polson home is worth about $579,000, up 1.3% in a year, 23% above the Montana typical home.
$579KZillow home value
Typical home value
Polson$579K
Montana$472K
+1.3%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Health
Healthier than 60% of U.S. towns
Polson beats the Montana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
BHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Montana
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Polson | MT |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.2% | 3.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.7% | 6.6% |
| More adults with arthritis | 32.1% | 28.4% |
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center
1.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
46th
percentile among MT towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
High risk, with avalanches at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland floodingCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Polson has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 34 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
34″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–34°
Spring33–56°
Summer50–79°
Fall35–56°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 15
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
A job hub
Every workday, about 3,048 people come to Polson for work
Where Polson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3,865jobs based in Polson
43%of working residents work in town
5 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Polson
4 notable people were born in Polson.
About Polson
Town in Montana, United States
Polson (Montana Salish: nčmqnétkʷ, Kutenai: kwataqnuk) (, POHL-sən) is a city in Lake County, Montana, United States, on the southern shore of Flathead Lake and within the Flathead Indian Reservation. The population was 5,148 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lake County. In 1898 the city was named after pioneer rancher David Polson. It was incorporated in 1910.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 5,148
- Area
- 4.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,927 ft
- ZIP code
- 59860
- Area code
- 406
Polson’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Polson.
More about Polson
Still missing for Polson:upcoming events