Now that you’ve hung up your office attire for the last time. you’re ready to look for a spot to spend your golden years in Big Sky Country. You’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a list of the best places to retire in Montana.
Between Yellowstone in the south and Glacier National Park in the north, there isn’t a corner of Montana that isn’t rife with epic landscapes and majestic wildlife. You could honestly hunt and fish in Montana for decades without seeing all there is to see.
How did we determine the best places to retire in Montana? We looked at the 28 cities with more than 2,000 people. We then compared data from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights to figure out which spots were safe, affordable, sunny, relatively older, and fun.
Whether you’re retiring in Montana to get away from it all or still want access to big-city amenities without the high price tag, we’ve got you covered.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Which place had it all going on when it comes to retirement? According to the data, Libby is the best place to retire in Montana for 2024.
There’s no geographic cheat-sheet when it comes to retiring in Montana, because the places on this list are fairly well-distributed throughout the state.
If you want to be near a big city like Billings or Missoula, then Columbus or Stevensville will be your best respective options. If you don’t want to drive to get to a beautiful spot, then Libby, located smack dab in the middle of Kootenai National Forest is where you’ll want to be.
Get ready to order up a nice fresh elk burger and some huckleberry bear claws, because we’re heading to the best places to retire in Montana.
Why did Libby take the top spot? And where are Billings and Missoula?
For more Montana state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Montana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Montana
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Montana
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Montana For 2024
/10
Population: 2,857
Median Income: $36,373
Median Home Price: $342,272
Median Rent: $614
Distance to Closest Airport: 59 miles
More on Libby: Crime | Real Estate
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Population: 3,030
Median Income: $52,813
Median Home Price: $265,269
Median Rent: $768
Distance to Closest Airport: 73 miles
More on Deer Lodge: Crime | Real Estate
/10
Population: 4,861
Median Income: $65,663
Median Home Price: $218,024
Median Rent: $798
Distance to Closest Airport: 89 miles
More on Glendive: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 2,321
Median Income: $39,472
Median Home Price: $480,258
Median Rent: $886
Distance to Closest Airport: 187 miles
More on Red Lodge: Crime | Real Estate
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Population: 2,038
Median Income: $39,836
Median Home Price: $560,086
Median Rent: $886
Distance to Closest Airport: 28 miles
More on Stevensville: Crime | Real Estate
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Population: 5,988
Median Income: $40,705
Median Home Price: $251,367
Median Rent: $818
Distance to Closest Airport: 116 miles
More on Lewistown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 2,640
Median Income: $49,135
Median Home Price: $225,365
Median Rent: $864
Distance to Closest Airport: 54 miles
More on Conrad: Crime | Real Estate
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Population: 2,634
Median Income: $46,389
Median Home Price: $277,061
Median Rent: $690
Distance to Closest Airport: 92 miles
More on Wolf Point: Crime | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Treasure State for 2024
To create our ranking of the best places in Montana to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Treasure State — 362 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 2,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 28 places from across the state.
For these 28, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 28, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Libby, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2024. This list reflects our tenth time ranking the best places to retire in Montana.
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Montana Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Montana goes to Libby.
The best places to retire in Montana are Libby, Deer Lodge, Glendive, Red Lodge, Stevensville, Hamilton, Lewistown, Conrad, Glasgow, and Wolf Point.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Billings
- Belgrade
- Bozeman
For more Montana reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Montana
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Libby | 2,857 | $36,373 | $342,272 | $614 |
| 2 | Deer Lodge | 3,030 | $52,813 | $265,269 | $768 |
| 3 | Glendive | 4,861 | $65,663 | $218,024 | $798 |
| 4 | Red Lodge | 2,321 | $39,472 | $480,258 | $886 |
| 5 | Stevensville | 2,038 | $39,836 | $560,086 | $886 |
| 6 | Hamilton | 4,806 | $45,973 | $485,729 | $816 |
| 7 | Lewistown | 5,988 | $40,705 | $251,367 | $818 |
| 8 | Conrad | 2,640 | $49,135 | $225,365 | $864 |
| 9 | Glasgow | 3,208 | $65,850 | $167,389 | $704 |
| 10 | Wolf Point | 2,634 | $46,389 | $277,061 | $690 |