Montana has a cost of living index of 89 (US average = 100) with a median household income of $65,734 and a population of 779,980. We ranked 15 cities based on affordability, income, housing value, and climate to find the best places to call home in Montana.
Helena Valley West Central is 2% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $89,040 and a population of 8,224.
Lockwood is 18% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $74,451 and a population of 7,474.
Helena Valley Northwest is 11% more expensive than the national average with a median income of $101,278 and a population of 5,070.
Billings is 10% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $71,855 and a population of 118,321.
Miles City is 24% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $60,732 and a population of 8,412.
Laurel is 20% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $66,382 and a population of 7,198.
Helena is 7% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $69,341 and a population of 33,126.
Great Falls is 22% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $63,934 and a population of 60,412.
Butte-Silver Bow (balance) is 25% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $57,633 and a population of 34,929.
Helena Valley Southeast is 5% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $63,824 and a population of 9,533.
Evergreen is 11% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $73,015 and a population of 8,908.
Missoula is 2% more expensive than the national average with a median income of $65,329 and a population of 75,600.
Livingston is 9% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $65,187 and a population of 8,635.
Havre is 27% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $58,000 and a population of 9,333.
Sidney is 20% cheaper than the national average with a median income of $62,992 and a population of 6,235.
Our livability score combines four data-driven factors: affordability (35% — cost of living index relative to national average), income (25% — median household income from the Census Bureau), housing value (15% — home price to income ratio), and climate (15% — NOAA temperature normals favoring moderate climates). Population serves as a proxy for amenities (10%).
Only cities with at least 5,000–10,000 residents are included. Data sourced from the US Census Bureau, Zillow, HUD, and NOAA.