A Flathead we can afford to call home
The people who keep this valley running are struggling to afford to live here. Let’s change that.
A home in the Flathead now costs nearly eight times what a working family here earns. Nathan Dugan is running for County Commissioner to tackle the housing squeeze head-on, make room for locals without paving over the valley, and bring county government directly to you.
Here’s the math.
$650,000
Typical Flathead home
$76,000
Typical family income
~8.5×
Home price vs. local income
The typical Flathead home is now worth about $650,000, while the typical family here earns about $76,000 — that’s roughly 8.5 times local income, when a healthy ratio is closer to three. Nearly half of our renters now pay more than they can afford.
Housing is the biggest thing pricing working families out of the Flathead — and unlike a lot of problems, it’s one we can actually solve.
Sources: Zillow Home Value Index, Flathead County (May 2026), and U.S. Census median household income (2024). Updated automatically each month.
Where I stand
Put affordability first
Most of us work hard to stay in the Flathead, and it’s getting harder every year. Teachers, nurses, firefighters, sheriff’s deputies, tradespeople, and the kids who were raised here are being priced out of the place they helped build. I’ll make housing affordability the county’s first priority, because everything else depends on whether the people who do the work here can afford to live here.
More homes for locals, not sprawl for billionaires
Since 2020, more people have moved to Flathead County than to any county in Montana, and it’s straining our roads and creeping into our open spaces. I’m for building homes for the people who work here — not trophy estates for the ultra-wealthy who treat the valley as a vacation investment.
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There’s a way to do both. Let landowners who want to keep their land open get paid to do it, through the market, not your tax dollars. Direct new homes closer to town, where the roads and water already are. It respects property rights, protects the open spaces that make this valley what it is, and actually builds housing for locals. No mandates. Your land, your choice.
Show up and tell the truth
Flathead County is a big place, and the courthouse shouldn’t feel out of reach. Most of us can’t take a day off work to drive to Kalispell for a county meeting. So I’ll bring the county to you, with weekly Neighborhood Office Hours across the valley. You shouldn’t have to lose wages or time with family to be heard by your own local government.
Seniors and aging in place
We want our seniors to be able to retire here with peace of mind. Rising costs put real strain on older neighbors on fixed incomes. I’ll keep the county budget disciplined and protect the services seniors rely on, emergency response, meals, and transit, so that when someone calls for help, it comes quickly.
An economy that works in January, not just July
Flathead County is a great place to visit, but we need an economy that works year-round, not just in tourist season. That means steady jobs and the trades, a county that backs local small businesses, and careers people can build a life on — not just get-by work for the summer.
A reliable partner for our towns
The county works best when everyone’s moving in the same direction. I’ll make the county a steady, honest partner for Columbia Falls, Kalispell, and Whitefish on shared services and infrastructure, so every tax dollar goes further.
I’ll come to you.
You shouldn’t have to take a day off work to talk to your county government. Every week, I’ll hold Neighborhood Office Hours somewhere in the valley, a coffee shop, a community center, after work if that’s what it takes. Bring your questions. I’ll be there.
Know a good spot? Tell me where to come.
Upcoming stops
New stops are added regularly. See all upcoming events →
Hey, I’m Nathan.
I’m running for Flathead County Commissioner to put my experience as a physical therapist and community builder to work for the people of this valley.
Our valley has changed faster than almost anywhere in Montana, and we can learn from the strain of the last few years and from the places that changed before us. I’m running because we need accountable, hardworking leadership that gets a handle on things before they hit a breaking point.
As a home health therapist, my work takes me into living rooms across the Flathead. Every day I see the physical and financial barriers older residents face trying to age in place, and how strained local services make it harder to get help. My job is to walk in, figure out what’s actually wrong, and build a step-by-step plan to fix it. I’ll bring that same approach to the courthouse.
I’ve spent years working at the state and local level to keep working families able to afford to live here. I helped start local housing and planning advocacy efforts in the Flathead, and in 2022 Governor Gianforte appointed me to his Housing Task Force, where I worked with a bipartisan group to tackle Montana’s housing shortage. Those relationships, with legislators from both parties and city officials across the Flathead, are how I’ll get everyone moving in the same direction on the things that matter, like infrastructure and protecting our rural areas.
I don’t think leadership means sitting behind a desk in Kalispell. It means showing up. That’s why I’m holding Neighborhood Office Hours across the county during this campaign, and it’s what I’ll keep doing in office. You shouldn’t have to take a day off work to reach your county government.
Call or text me at (406) 213-5145 or email nathan@electdugan.com anytime. And maybe I’ll catch you on the baseball diamond this summer, I founded the Flathead Adult Men’s Baseball League in 2025 to give folks across the valley the chance to play ball again.
Join the campaign.
This race will be won by reaching voters in every corner of the valley. Add your name, tell us how you’d like to help, and we’ll keep you posted.
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