Is West Yellowstone, MT a Good Place to Live?
West Yellowstone is a small town of 1,147 in Montana, with a median household income of $48,750 and a 1.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 95 (US average = 100), which is 5% below the national average.
Strengths: West Yellowstone stands out for an affordable cost of living, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether West Yellowstone is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All West Yellowstone city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 95.2West Yellowstone's overall cost of living index is 95.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in West Yellowstone costs roughly 5% less than the average American city.
| Metric | West Yellowstone, MT | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $380,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $817 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 51.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $48,750 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeWest Yellowstone's violent crime rate is 82.9 per 100,000 residents — 78% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
West Yellowstone is served primarily by West Yellowstone K-12. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10.8:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | West Yellowstone, MT | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | West Yellowstone K-12 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 10.8:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 24.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 87.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
West Yellowstone sees average highs of 26.8°F in January and 79.7°F in July, with 25.2 inches of annual precipitation and 177.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | West Yellowstone, MT |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 26.8°F |
| Average High — July | 79.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 25.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 177.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | West Yellowstone, MT | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,147 | — |
| Median Age | 34.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 6.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 62.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 27.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 3.4% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 27.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 10.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in West Yellowstone
West Yellowstone, MT is covered by 1 ZIP code: