City · Ravalli County, Montana

Hamilton, Montana

Hamilton is a city in Ravalli County, Montana. It has 5,101 residents. Hamilton, Montana has a quality-of-life score of 67 out of 100 (high), ranking #5,143 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Montana it ranks #51 of 94 cities and towns. It ranks best on preventable hospital stays (low), average commute time (low) and high school diploma or higher (high). It ranks worst on distance to an Amtrak station (high), public EV charging ports (low) and distance to an emergency room (high).

67High

Quality-of-life score: #5,143 of 15,651 cities and towns
Montana: #51 of 94 in MT
Population: 5,101 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 1,981.5 /mi²
FIPS code: 3033775

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 76 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety62#5,898/15,637
Economy56#6,806/15,631
Housing83#2,610/14,977
Health65#5,518/15,609
Healthcare28#11,275/15,650
Environment36#9,818/15,453
Education56#6,840/15,649
Infrastructure47#8,241/15,650
Community86#2,263/15,651
Leisure & amenities85#2,291/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Hamilton, Montana ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Ravalli County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Preventable hospital stays · low1,101 /100k
99/100Montana 1,824 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRavalli County value
Average commute time · low12.2 min
99/100Montana 19.1 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
High school diploma or higher · high92.5%
98/100Montana 94.6%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Median Air Quality Index · low21
98/100Montana 332025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyRavalli County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high11.9 /10k
97/100Montana 13.7 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsRavalli County value
Hot days · low1 days
96/100Montana 15 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationRavalli County value

Weaknesses

Distance to an Amtrak station · high135 mi
6/100Montana 117 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauRavalli County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.4 /10k
8/100Montana 4.2 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyRavalli County value
Distance to an emergency room · high14.0 mi
9/100Montana 12.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesRavalli County value
Home price to income ratio · high6.3×
10/100Montana 5.2×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Mental health care shortage · high18.0
11/100Montana 15.3United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationRavalli County value
Suicide rate · high23.0 /100k
12/100Montana 30.3 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataRavalli County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
4,723 (2015-2019) → 5,101 (2020-2024)
+8%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
21.2% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−21 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$32,006 (2015-2019) → $49,204 (2020-2024)
+54%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateImproving
19.2% (2015-2019) → 8.8% (2020-2024)
−10 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
48.8% (2015-2019) → 41.5% (2020-2024)
−7.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
78.0% (2015-2019) → 84.2% (2020-2024)
+6.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Hamilton, Montana improved on 3 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Child poverty−21 points21.2% → 0.0%
Poverty−10 points19.2% → 8.8%
Household income+54%$32,006 → $49,204

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Hamilton, Montana between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	15.0 min2015-2019	12.2 min2020-2024	−2.8 min	Within the margin of error	78%
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.3%2015-2019	30.8%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Broadband subscriptions	78.0%2015-2019	84.2%2020-2024	+6.1 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Child poverty rate	21.2%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	−21 points	Improved	94%
Effective property tax rate	0.92%2015-2019	0.51%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	85%
High school diploma or higher	88.7%2015-2019	92.5%2020-2024	+3.7 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Home price to income ratio	5.5×2015-2019	6.3×2020-2024	+0.8×	Within the margin of error	33%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4022015-2019	0.4392020-2024	+0.038	Within the margin of error	22%
Median household income	$32,0062015-2019	$49,2042020-2024	+54%	Improved	87%
Poverty rate	19.2%2015-2019	8.8%2020-2024	−10 points	Improved	93%
Rent as share of income	29.6%2015-2019	26.3%2020-2024	−3.3 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Rent-burdened households	48.8%2015-2019	41.5%2020-2024	−7.3 points	Within the margin of error	77%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	14.3%2015-2019	15.9%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	29%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Hamilton, Montana five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Hamilton, Montana in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Hamilton, Montana itself moved +4.9 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

5,101 residents (±18)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

2,748 households (±268)

Hamilton, Montana
Montana share

Under $25k19%†522
$25k–50k33%†909
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

2,748 households (±268)

Hamilton, Montana
Montana share

Own56%1,530
Rent44%1,218

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+14.0 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

2,394 workers (±318)

Hamilton, Montana
Montana share

Drive alone77%1,844
Carpool14%†334
Public transit1.1%†27

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Ravalli County, the county holding most of Hamilton's residents.

Ravalli County has 1,715 employer establishments, 360 for every 10,000 residents (1.45× the US rate of 248; 0.96× Montana's), with 11,260 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,085. The Census Bureau also counts 5,514 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,715; 5,514 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 360; US 248 · Montana 376
Paid employees: 11,260
Average annual pay: $44,085; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Ravalli County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	254	53.3	3.44×More than typical	799	$48,223	616
Construction of buildings	132	27.7	3.66×More than typical	340	$49,635	405
Ambulatory health care services	104	21.8	1.05×About typical	740	$70,526	227
Lessors of real estate	88	18.5	1.50×More than typical	172	$33,506	663
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	74	15.5	4.93×More than typical	229	$44,105	123
Building equipment contractors	72	15.1	2.51×More than typical	258	$50,186	71
Building finishing contractors	68	14.3	3.76×More than typical	207	$44,763	190
Restaurants and other eating places	61	12.8	0.70×Fewer than typical	919	$20,062	13
Real estate agents and brokers	56	11.8	2.42×More than typical	45	$51,689	162
Services to buildings and dwellings	54	11.3	1.68×More than typical	127	$47,094	309
Offices of other health practitioners	48	10.1	1.66×More than typical	198	$57,303	126
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors	46	9.7	2.92×More than typical	139	$49,122	29

Rank places for an industry Open Ravalli County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 47,634 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Hamilton is mostly in Ravalli County.

See federal money in Ravalli County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Hamilton, Montana is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Ryan K. ZinkeR-MT-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 3.0%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Ravalli County66100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Ravalli County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3033775

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends