You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Montana.
The median household income in Gallatin County, the richest county in Montana is $83,434, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 56 counties in the Treasure State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In Montana For 2024
What is the richest county in Montana? The richest county in Montana is Gallatin County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Prairie County, according to the Census 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.
The Richest Counties In Montana For 2024
1. Gallatin County
Biggest Place: Bozeman
Population: 119,685
Median Income: $83,434 (highest)
Median Home Price: $679,405 (highest)
More on Gallatin County: Data
2. Flathead County
Biggest Place: Kalispell
Population: 105,950
Median Income: $68,025 (10th highest)
Median Home Price: $604,379 (3rd highest)
More on Flathead County: Data
3. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Montana City
Population: 12,273
Median Income: $73,875 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $502,446 (8th highest)
More on Jefferson County: Data
4. Park County
Biggest Place: Livingston
Population: 17,320
Median Income: $67,602 (11th highest)
Median Home Price: $556,185 (5th highest)
More on Park County: Data
5. Stillwater County
Biggest Place: Columbus
Population: 8,978
Median Income: $78,380 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $435,241 (12th highest)
More on Stillwater County: Data
6. Lewis And Clark County
Biggest Place: Helena
Population: 71,487
Median Income: $71,967 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $435,497 (11th highest)
More on Lewis And Clark County: Data
7. Ravalli County
Biggest Place: Hamilton
Population: 44,876
Median Income: $67,424 (14th highest)
Median Home Price: $548,271 (6th highest)
More on Ravalli County: Data
8. Missoula County
Biggest Place: Missoula
Population: 118,541
Median Income: $66,840 (15th highest)
Median Home Price: $534,922 (7th highest)
More on Missoula County: Data
9. Yellowstone County
Biggest Place: Billings
Population: 165,524
Median Income: $72,300 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $379,048 (17th highest)
More on Yellowstone County: Data
10. Madison County
Biggest Place: Big Sky
Population: 8,742
Median Income: $61,226 (23rd highest)
Median Home Price: $677,090 (2nd highest)
More on Madison County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Montana county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Montana, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. 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 the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Montana for each of the criteria from one to 56, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Montana.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Treasure State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Montana. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In Montana For 2024
Living in Montana can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Montana are Gallatin County, Flathead County, Jefferson County, Park County, Stillwater County, Lewis and Clark County, Ravalli County, Missoula County, Yellowstone County, and Madison County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in Montana according to the data:
- Prairie County
- Glacier County
- Carter County
For more Montana reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Montana
- Richest Cities In Montana
- Safest Places In Montana
- Best Places To Live In Montana
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Montana
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gallatin County | 119,685 | $83,434 | $679,405 |
| 2 | Flathead County | 105,950 | $68,025 | $604,379 |
| 3 | Jefferson County | 12,273 | $73,875 | $502,446 |
| 4 | Park County | 17,320 | $67,602 | $556,185 |
| 5 | Stillwater County | 8,978 | $78,380 | $435,241 |
| 6 | Lewis And Clark County | 71,487 | $71,967 | $435,497 |
| 7 | Ravalli County | 44,876 | $67,424 | $548,271 |
| 8 | Missoula County | 118,541 | $66,840 | $534,922 |
| 9 | Yellowstone County | 165,524 | $72,300 | $379,048 |
| 10 | Madison County | 8,742 | $61,226 | $677,090 |
| 11 | Carbon County | 10,645 | $66,780 | $465,237 |
| 12 | Broadwater County | 6,977 | $61,679 | $479,231 |
| 13 | Mccone County | 1,746 | $79,022 | $281,631 |
| 14 | Richland County | 11,366 | $67,515 | $302,677 |
| 15 | Sweet Grass County | 3,697 | $64,872 | $406,214 |
| 16 | Teton County | 6,238 | $65,224 | $307,593 |
| 17 | Lake County | 31,509 | $58,009 | $560,235 |
| 18 | Cascade County | 84,423 | $61,351 | $307,508 |
| 19 | Fallon County | 2,941 | $79,750 | $218,868 |
| 20 | Powell County | 6,998 | $60,994 | $295,727 |
| 21 | Garfield County | 976 | $61,786 | $261,713 |
| 22 | Powder River County | 1,773 | $60,313 | $285,340 |
| 23 | Custer County | 11,957 | $61,114 | $263,745 |
| 24 | Dawson County | 8,915 | $68,168 | $217,265 |
| 25 | Treasure County | 680 | $70,096 | $213,706 |
| 26 | Mineral County | 4,652 | $56,098 | $361,889 |
| 27 | Granite County | 3,368 | $53,917 | $429,426 |
| 28 | Judith Basin County | 2,039 | $58,750 | $279,012 |
| 29 | Beaverhead County | 9,469 | $55,867 | $350,890 |
| 30 | Phillips County | 4,233 | $61,250 | $250,691 |
| 31 | Sheridan County | 3,700 | $67,457 | $201,960 |
| 32 | Meagher County | 1,948 | $55,753 | $296,132 |
| 33 | Sanders County | 12,615 | $47,110 | $427,908 |
| 34 | Pondera County | 5,987 | $59,861 | $237,872 |
| 35 | Fergus County | 11,496 | $58,321 | $255,808 |
| 36 | Silver Bow County | 35,306 | $56,297 | $266,938 |
| 37 | Wibaux County | 1,119 | $58,750 | $240,270 |
| 38 | Hill County | 16,238 | $58,427 | $252,662 |
| 39 | Lincoln County | 20,157 | $44,593 | $420,939 |
| 40 | Roosevelt County | 10,799 | $51,038 | $290,164 |
| 41 | Rosebud County | 8,310 | $57,656 | $233,975 |
| 42 | Blaine County | 7,030 | $58,507 | $221,009 |
| 43 | Valley County | 7,552 | $59,725 | $197,615 |
| 44 | Chouteau County | 5,897 | $51,791 | $258,025 |
| 45 | Musselshell County | 4,924 | $54,875 | $225,515 |
| 46 | Petroleum County | 416 | $57,981 | $189,645 |
| 47 | Deer Lodge County | 9,435 | $46,436 | $252,733 |
| 48 | Big Horn County | 13,090 | $52,463 | $227,948 |
| 49 | Golden Valley County | 841 | $54,792 | $215,165 |
| 50 | Liberty County | 1,993 | $48,047 | $230,982 |
| 51 | Daniels County | 1,535 | $47,378 | $228,211 |
| 52 | Toole County | 5,018 | $54,040 | $172,260 |
| 53 | Wheatland County | 2,060 | $48,272 | $170,503 |
| 54 | Carter County | 1,332 | $46,486 | $180,560 |
| 55 | Glacier County | 13,781 | $41,078 | $171,336 |
| 56 | Prairie County | 1,283 | $44,107 | $142,751 |