This article, the forty-seventh in a 50-state series, ranks the best places to live in Montana based on three criteria: (1) median household income (adjusted for cost of living); (2) educational attainment (% of residents 25 years and over who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher); and (3) property crime rates per 1,000 residents (burglary and automobile thefts). For purposes of these rankings, “places” are incorporated municipalities with populations greater than 1,000.
Among the ten best places to live in Montana, four are exurbs of Billings, three comprise Bozeman and its suburbs, two are exurbs of Great Falls, and one is the state capitol. By county, three of the best places to live in Montana are in Gallatin County and one each is located in Carbon, Flathead, Glacier, Lewis and Clark, Rosebud, Stillwater, and Sweet Grass counties.
After reading “Best Places to Live in Montana (2011),” return to this link to read “Largest Cities in Montana (2011) .” A collection of similar articles for the remaining 49 states can be found at these links: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
For the culmination of the 50-state series, read “Best Places to Live in America (2011) .”
1. Best Places to Live in Montana (2011) — Colstrip, MT (Rosebud County)
Population: 2,152
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $89,802
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 23.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.41
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Helena, MT: 332 miles WNW
Billings, MT: 122 miles W
2. Best Places to Live in Montana (2011) — Manhattan, MT (Gallatin County)
Population: 1,470
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $56,178
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 37.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0.61
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Helena, MT: 79 miles NNW
Bozeman, MT: 19 miles SE
3. Best Places to Live in Montana (2011) — Bozeman, MT (Gallatin County)
Population: 38,621
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $44,390
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 50.6%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 5.28
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Helena, MT: 97 miles NNW
Billings, MT: 144 miles E
4. Best Places to Live in Montana (2011) — Helena, MT (Lewis and Clark County)
Population: 29,486
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $51,726
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 44.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 5.62
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Missoula, MT: 114 miles WNW
Bozeman, MT 97 miles SSE
Great Falls, MT: 90 miles NNE
5. Best Places to Live in Montana (2011) — Red Lodge, MT (Carbon County)
Population: 2,478
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $55,507
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 38.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.84
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Helena, MT: 237 miles NW
Billings, MT: 60 miles NE
6. Best Places to Live in Montana (2011) — Whitefish, MT (Flathead County)
Population: 7,948
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $48,033
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 42.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.48
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Helena, MT: 208 miles SSE
Missoula, MT: 132 miles S
7. Best Places to Live in Montana (2011) — Belgrade, MT (Gallatin County)
Population: 7,872
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $48,843
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 30.5%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.59
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Helena, MT: 89 miles NNW
Bozeman, MT: 10 miles SE
8. Best Places to Live in Montana (2011) — Columbus, MT (Stillwater County)
Population: 2,190
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $54,087
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 20.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.51
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Helena, MT: 193 miles NW
Billings, MT: 42 miles ENE
9. Best Places to Live in Montana (2011) — Cut Bank, MT (Glacier County)
Population: 3,121
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $53,821
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 24.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.19
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Helena, MT: 190 miles S
Great Falls, MT: 109 miles SSE
10. Best Places to Live in Montana (2011) — Big Timber, MT (Sweet Grass County)
Population: 1,841
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $50,054
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 21.5%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.9*
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Helena, MT: 152 miles NW
Billings, MT: 81 miles E
More Articles from J.C. Grant
“Average ACT Scores by State (2010)”
“Average SAT Scores by State (2010)”
“Largest U.S. Cities: Population Size (2011)”
“Most_Dangerous_Cities_in_America – Murder Rates”
State Education Rankings: Graduation Rates for High School, College, and Grad/Professional School
“State Education Rankings: SAT Scores”
Source(s):
“All Cities in Montana,” City-Data.com
“2009 ACS 1-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2007-2009 ACS 3-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2006-2008 ACS 3-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2005-2009 ACS 5-Year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
Uniform Crime Report,” Federal Bureau of Investigation
