Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Montana a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Montana.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Treasure State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Montana, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 56 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Montana For 2024
Mccone County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Montana. And you should avoid Glacier County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Montana. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Montana and the cheapest places to live in Montana.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Montana For 2024
1. Mccone County
Biggest Place: Circle
Population: 1,746
Median Income: $79,022 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $281,631 (27th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5% (19th best)
More on Mccone County: Data
2. Gallatin County
Biggest Place: Bozeman
Population: 119,685
Median Income: $83,434 (best)
Median Home Price: $679,405 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (14th best)
More on Gallatin County: Data
3. Stillwater County
Biggest Place: Columbus
Population: 8,978
Median Income: $78,380 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $435,241 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.6% (20th best)
More on Stillwater County: Data
4. Lewis And Clark County
Biggest Place: Helena
Population: 71,487
Median Income: $71,967 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $435,497 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (3best)
More on Lewis And Clark County: Data
5. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Montana City
Population: 12,273
Median Income: $73,875 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $502,446 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (29th best)
More on Jefferson County: Data
6. Flathead County
Biggest Place: Kalispell
Population: 105,950
Median Income: $68,025 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $604,379 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (25th best)
More on Flathead County: Data
7. Yellowstone County
Biggest Place: Billings
Population: 165,524
Median Income: $72,300 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $379,048 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (32nd best)
More on Yellowstone County: Data
8. Petroleum County
Biggest Place: Winnett
Population: 416
Median Income: $57,981 (35th best)
Median Home Price: $189,645 (5best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.8% (6th best)
More on Petroleum County: Data
9. Dawson County
Biggest Place: Glendive
Population: 8,915
Median Income: $68,168 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $217,265 (46th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (23rd best)
More on Dawson County: Data
10. Fallon County
Biggest Place: Baker
Population: 2,941
Median Income: $79,750 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $218,868 (45th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0% (2nd best)
More on Fallon County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Montana county is the best?
To give you the best county in Montana, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Montana across each of the criteria from one to 56, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Montana.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Treasure State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Montana.
Read on to see why Mccone County is the best county, while Glacier County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Montana.
Summary: The Best Counties In Montana To Call Home For 2024
Living in Montana can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Montana are McCone County, Gallatin County, Stillwater County, Lewis and Clark County, Jefferson County, Flathead County, Yellowstone County, Petroleum County, Dawson County, and Fallon County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Montana according to the data:
- Glacier County
- Big Horn County
- Blaine County
For more Montana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Montana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Montana
- Richest Cities In Montana
- Best Places To Buy A House In Montana
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Montana
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mccone County | 1,746 | $79,022 | $281,631 |
| 2 | Gallatin County | 119,685 | $83,434 | $679,405 |
| 3 | Stillwater County | 8,978 | $78,380 | $435,241 |
| 4 | Lewis And Clark County | 71,487 | $71,967 | $435,497 |
| 5 | Jefferson County | 12,273 | $73,875 | $502,446 |
| 6 | Flathead County | 105,950 | $68,025 | $604,379 |
| 7 | Yellowstone County | 165,524 | $72,300 | $379,048 |
| 8 | Petroleum County | 416 | $57,981 | $189,645 |
| 9 | Dawson County | 8,915 | $68,168 | $217,265 |
| 10 | Fallon County | 2,941 | $79,750 | $218,868 |
| 11 | Madison County | 8,742 | $61,226 | $677,090 |
| 12 | Park County | 17,320 | $67,602 | $556,185 |
| 13 | Missoula County | 118,541 | $66,840 | $534,922 |
| 14 | Sweet Grass County | 3,697 | $64,872 | $406,214 |
| 15 | Treasure County | 680 | $70,096 | $213,706 |
| 16 | Meagher County | 1,948 | $55,753 | $296,132 |
| 17 | Richland County | 11,366 | $67,515 | $302,677 |
| 18 | Garfield County | 976 | $61,786 | $261,713 |
| 19 | Carbon County | 10,645 | $66,780 | $465,237 |
| 20 | Daniels County | 1,535 | $47,378 | $228,211 |
| 21 | Cascade County | 84,423 | $61,351 | $307,508 |
| 22 | Powell County | 6,998 | $60,994 | $295,727 |
| 23 | Ravalli County | 44,876 | $67,424 | $548,271 |
| 24 | Judith Basin County | 2,039 | $58,750 | $279,012 |
| 25 | Beaverhead County | 9,469 | $55,867 | $350,890 |
| 26 | Custer County | 11,957 | $61,114 | $263,745 |
| 27 | Teton County | 6,238 | $65,224 | $307,593 |
| 28 | Broadwater County | 6,977 | $61,679 | $479,231 |
| 29 | Phillips County | 4,233 | $61,250 | $250,691 |
| 30 | Powder River County | 1,773 | $60,313 | $285,340 |
| 31 | Sheridan County | 3,700 | $67,457 | $201,960 |
| 32 | Wibaux County | 1,119 | $58,750 | $240,270 |
| 33 | Mineral County | 4,652 | $56,098 | $361,889 |
| 34 | Fergus County | 11,496 | $58,321 | $255,808 |
| 35 | Granite County | 3,368 | $53,917 | $429,426 |
| 36 | Valley County | 7,552 | $59,725 | $197,615 |
| 37 | Silver Bow County | 35,306 | $56,297 | $266,938 |
| 38 | Chouteau County | 5,897 | $51,791 | $258,025 |
| 39 | Musselshell County | 4,924 | $54,875 | $225,515 |
| 40 | Lake County | 31,509 | $58,009 | $560,235 |
| 41 | Hill County | 16,238 | $58,427 | $252,662 |
| 42 | Liberty County | 1,993 | $48,047 | $230,982 |
| 43 | Golden Valley County | 841 | $54,792 | $215,165 |
| 44 | Carter County | 1,332 | $46,486 | $180,560 |
| 45 | Sanders County | 12,615 | $47,110 | $427,908 |
| 46 | Toole County | 5,018 | $54,040 | $172,260 |
| 47 | Wheatland County | 2,060 | $48,272 | $170,503 |
| 48 | Pondera County | 5,987 | $59,861 | $237,872 |
| 49 | Deer Lodge County | 9,435 | $46,436 | $252,733 |
| 50 | Lincoln County | 20,157 | $44,593 | $420,939 |
| 51 | Prairie County | 1,283 | $44,107 | $142,751 |
| 52 | Roosevelt County | 10,799 | $51,038 | $290,164 |
| 53 | Rosebud County | 8,310 | $57,656 | $233,975 |
| 54 | Blaine County | 7,030 | $58,507 | $221,009 |
| 55 | Big Horn County | 13,090 | $52,463 | $227,948 |
| 56 | Glacier County | 13,781 | $41,078 | $171,336 |