Best places to live in Montana (2026)

All 4 ranked places in Montana, by all-round score. 4 other places without FBI crime data are on the places list.

Ranked by an all-round score: the average of all 15 quality scores (housing costs, taxes, jobs, healthcare, schools, education, family life, safety, natural disasters, climate and more), weighted equally. Places missing from the FBI crime table are left out, since their safety is unknown. Scores are out of 100.

1. 1Missoula, MTSmall city · 3-bed $552k · moderate crime55
2. 2Helena, MTSmall city · 3-bed $477k · moderate crime52
3. 3Kalispell, MTSmall city · 3-bed $537k · moderate crime49
4. 4Great Falls, MTSmall city · 3-bed $331k · moderate crime46

Cheapest places to live in Montana

Ranked by the typical value of a 3-bedroom home (Zillow), lowest first.

1. 1Butte-Silver Bow, MTSmall city · rent $1,970/mo · cost of living 95$262k
2. 2Great Falls, MTSmall city · rent $1,790/mo · cost of living 97$331k
3. 3Billings, MTSmall city · rent $1,950/mo · cost of living 94$387k
4. 4Helena, MTSmall city · rent $2,250/mo · cost of living 96$477k
5. 5Kalispell, MTSmall city · rent $2,220/mo · cost of living 95$537k

Safest places to live in Montana

Ranked by violent crimes per resident in FBI 2019 data, lowest first. Places missing from the FBI table are left out.

1. 1Missoula, MTSmall city · violent crime 1.1× the US rate411 per 100k
2. 2Kalispell, MTSmall city · violent crime 1.1× the US rate417 per 100k
3. 3Great Falls, MTSmall city · violent crime 1.4× the US rate515 per 100k
4. 4Helena, MTSmall city · violent crime 1.5× the US rate579 per 100k

Safest places from natural disasters in Montana

Ranked by our natural disaster score: FEMA's expected deaths, injuries and home damage from 18 hazards, plus federally declared disasters in the county since 2000.

1. 1Billings, MT3 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, cold waves81
2. 2Butte-Silver Bow, MT1 declared disaster since 2000 · mainly cold waves, earthquakes76
3. 3Helena, MT3 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly cold waves, flooding76
4. 4Whitefish, MT3 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, cold waves75
5. 5Bozeman, MT2 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly earthquakes, cold waves73

Best places to live for families in Montana

Ranked by a family score: the average of our Kids & family, Safety, Schools and Affordable housing scores. Places missing from the FBI crime table are left out.

1. 1Great Falls, MTSmall city · schools average · safety average · 3-bed $331k52
2. 2Kalispell, MTSmall city · schools good · safety good · 3-bed $537k51
3. 3Missoula, MTSmall city · schools good · safety average · 3-bed $552k47
4. 4Helena, MTSmall city · schools good · safety average · 3-bed $477k44

Best places for public schools in Montana

Ranked by our Schools score: public school math and reading results in 2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP 2019, so places in different states compare fairly.

1. 1Bozeman, MTSmall city · tests well above US average · 17 students per teacher · 3-bed $655k84
2. 2Whitefish, MTResort town · tests well above US average · 17 students per teacher · 3-bed $915k80
3. 3Kalispell, MTSmall city · tests above US average · 16 students per teacher · 3-bed $537k73
4. 4Missoula, MTSmall city · tests above US average · 16 students per teacher · 3-bed $552k71
5. 5Helena, MTSmall city · tests above US average · 16 students per teacher · 3-bed $477k64

Best places to live · Cheapest places to live · Safest places to live · Safest places from natural disasters · Best places to live for families · Best places for public schools

Data: US Census, Zillow, HUD, BEA, FBI 2019, FEMA, NOAA, NASA, CMS, NCES and others. How scores work.