← All states

Montana

#15 of 50 states · 👍 Solid

#15of 50
Montana among U.S. states
C68
👍 Solid
🏆 Commutetop 9%
🚽 Crimebottom 16%
Rolled up from 18 ranked cities · 466,814 residents
Taxes
None sales · US 7.00%up to 5.65% income · US 4.63%

City heat map

Every ranked city — bubble size = population, color = how it ranks within Montana. Tap a bubble for its card.

Best-ranked in MontanaWorst-ranked

Color is each city's rank within Montana — not its national score. Hover or open a bubble for that, or see every city on one scale on the national map.

The breakdown — worst first

Violent crime rate16

Population-weighted average across 17 Montana cities

Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Property crime rate19

Population-weighted average across 17 Montana cities

Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Income inequality30

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Homeownership35

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Housing cost35

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Poor mental health36

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Median household income44

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Broadband access45

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Poverty rate49

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Uninsured adults52

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Adult smoking52

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Share of adults who currently smoke.

Rent60

Population-weighted average across 13 Montana cities

Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Property-tax burden61

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Unhealthy air days64

Population-weighted average across 16 Montana cities

Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100).

Air quality (AQI)65

Population-weighted average across 16 Montana cities

Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air.

Bachelor's degree or higher66

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Adult obesity69

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Population growth (5yr)69

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Physical inactivity77

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Natural disaster risk79

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more.

Unemployment rate82

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Share of the labor force out of work.

Commute time91

Population-weighted average across 18 Montana cities

Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

See all Montana cities →

Montana's headline score is the population-weighted average of its cities' scores, placed on a curve relative to the other states — a bird's-eye, states-vs-states ranking. The breakdown bars above are the absolute, per-metric rollup across its cities of 5,000+ residents. The heat map colors each city by its rank within Montana(greenest = best here); the city lists below show each city's national score.