You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Montana. Best sururbs in Montana. Best counties in Montana.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Treasure State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Montana based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Montana ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 15 Best Small Towns To Live In Montana For 2024
- Montana City
- Clancy
- Helena Valley Northeast
- Wheatland
- King Arthur Park
- Wye
- Glasgow
- Churchill
- Big Sky
- Bigfork
- Helena Flats
- Three Forks
- West Glendive
- Pray
- Chinook
What’s the best small town in Montana? Montana City is the best small town in Montana based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Montana City, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you–keep reading, and we’ll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the Treasure State check out:
The 15 Best Small Towns In Montana For 2024
1. Montana City
/10
Population: 2,716
Median Income: $113,679 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $672,831 (9th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
2. Clancy
/10
Population: 1,970
Median Income: $95,357 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $586,221 (17th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4%
3. Helena Valley Northeast
/10
Population: 4,245
Median Income: $137,500 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $674,589 (8th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.5%
4. Wheatland
Population: 1,017
Median Income: $105,500 (3rd Best)
Median Home Value: $833,385 (3rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
5. King Arthur Park
/10
Population: 2,033
Median Income: $101,281 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $0 (70th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
6. Wye
Population: 1,074
Median Income: $93,264 (9th Best)
Median Home Value: $689,970 (6th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.7%
7. Glasgow
/10
Population: 3,208
Median Income: $65,850 (23rd Best)
Median Home Value: $167,389 (63rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.8%
8. Churchill
Population: 1,081
Median Income: $90,250 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $677,812 (7th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.6%
9. Big Sky
/10
Population: 2,825
Median Income: $94,176 (8th Best)
Median Home Value: $1,688,764 (1st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.7%
10. Bigfork
/10
Population: 4,953
Median Income: $73,443 (15th Best)
Median Home Value: $752,328 (5th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5%
11. Helena Flats
/10
Population: 1,071
Median Income: $68,194 (19th Best)
Median Home Value: $668,583 (10th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
12. Three Forks
/10
Population: 1,895
Median Income: $77,674 (13th Best)
Median Home Value: $522,069 (20th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4%
13. West Glendive
/10
Population: 1,912
Median Income: $66,725 (21st Best)
Median Home Value: $298,840 (43rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4%
14. Pray
Population: 1,017
Median Income: $104,512 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $979,307 (2nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%
15. Chinook
/10
Population: 1,488
Median Income: $47,067 (52nd Best)
Median Home Value: $224,444 (53rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Montana
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Montana possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 72 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 72, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Montana. Top of that list — Montana City.
This is our tenth time ranking the best small places to live in Montana.
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these 15 small towns in Montana are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Montana are Montana City, Clancy, Helena Valley Northeast, Wheatland, King Arthur Park, Wye, Glasgow, Churchill, Big Sky, and Bigfork.
If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in Montana:
- Crow Agency
- Lame Deer
- Fort Belknap Agency
For more Montana reading, check out:
Best Small Towns In Montana
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana City, MT | 2,716 | $113,679 | 2.2% | |
| 2 | Clancy, MT | 1,970 | $95,357 | 1.4% | |
| 3 | Helena Valley Northeast, MT | 4,245 | $137,500 | 1.5% | |
| 4 | Wheatland, MT | 1,017 | $105,500 | 0.0% | |
| 5 | King Arthur Park, MT | 2,033 | $101,281 | 0.0% | |
| 6 | Wye, MT | 1,074 | $93,264 | 5.7% | |
| 7 | Glasgow, MT | 3,208 | $65,850 | 0.8% | |
| 8 | Churchill, MT | 1,081 | $90,250 | 0.6% | |
| 9 | Big Sky, MT | 2,825 | $94,176 | 1.7% | |
| 10 | Bigfork, MT | 4,953 | $73,443 | 3.5% | |
| 11 | Helena Flats, MT | 1,071 | $68,194 | 2.9% | |
| 12 | Three Forks, MT | 1,895 | $77,674 | 1.4% | |
| 13 | West Glendive, MT | 1,912 | $66,725 | 2.4% | |
| 14 | Pray, MT | 1,017 | $104,512 | 3.7% | |
| 15 | Chinook, MT | 1,488 | $47,067 | 2.3% | |
| 16 | Malta, MT | 2,121 | $60,735 | 4.3% | |
| 17 | Helena West Side, MT | 1,591 | $71,141 | 0.0% | |
| 18 | Lakeside, MT | 2,564 | $71,006 | 0.0% | |
| 19 | Deer Lodge, MT | 3,030 | $52,813 | 3.4% | |
| 20 | Malmstrom Afb, MT | 4,281 | $62,684 | 3.7% | |
| 21 | Frenchtown, MT | 1,570 | $86,184 | 3.6% | |
| 22 | Colstrip, MT | 2,327 | $87,321 | 5.0% | |
| 23 | Somers, MT | 1,037 | $54,466 | 0.0% | |
| 24 | Manhattan, MT | 1,986 | $57,045 | 0.0% | |
| 25 | Glendive, MT | 4,861 | $65,663 | 4.1% | |
| 26 | Lolo, MT | 4,573 | $69,035 | 1.0% | |
| 27 | Hamilton, MT | 4,806 | $45,973 | 2.4% | |
| 28 | Thompson Falls, MT | 1,658 | $43,125 | 0.6% | |
| 29 | West Yellowstone, MT | 1,147 | $48,750 | 1.6% | |
| 30 | Dillon, MT | 3,958 | $42,037 | 3.8% | |
| 31 | Florence, MT | 1,046 | $74,615 | 11.7% | |
| 32 | Park City, MT | 1,022 | $61,875 | 2.2% | |
| 33 | Plentywood, MT | 1,781 | $66,607 | 2.5% | |
| 34 | White Sulphur Springs, MT | 1,112 | $55,775 | 0.0% | |
| 35 | Seeley Lake, MT | 1,590 | $42,254 | 6.1% | |
| 36 | Shelby, MT | 3,058 | $51,667 | 1.2% | |
| 37 | Fort Benton, MT | 1,544 | $67,656 | 6.4% | |
| 38 | Red Lodge, MT | 2,321 | $39,472 | 4.2% | |
| 39 | Columbus, MT | 1,932 | $59,150 | 5.0% | |
| 40 | Baker, MT | 1,500 | $96,667 | 0.0% | |
| 41 | Hardin, MT | 3,803 | $57,266 | 11.5% | |
| 42 | East Missoula, MT | 2,105 | $58,991 | 7.0% | |
| 43 | Big Timber, MT | 1,702 | $60,842 | 4.0% | |
| 44 | Harlem, MT | 1,005 | $61,818 | 8.7% | |
| 45 | Forsyth, MT | 1,458 | $56,397 | 2.6% | |
| 46 | Choteau, MT | 1,714 | $54,679 | 1.9% | |
| 47 | East Helena, MT | 1,829 | $54,485 | 7.9% | |
| 48 | Conrad, MT | 2,640 | $49,135 | 4.6% | |
| 49 | Lincoln, MT | 1,005 | $42,900 | 0.2% | |
| 50 | Cut Bank, MT | 3,061 | $41,759 | 2.6% | |
| 51 | Sun Prairie, MT | 1,366 | $52,311 | 0.0% | |
| 52 | Roundup, MT | 1,824 | $54,167 | 3.8% | |
| 53 | Bonner-West Riverside, MT | 1,281 | $58,673 | 5.0% | |
| 54 | Stevensville, MT | 2,038 | $39,836 | 4.9% | |
| 55 | Libby, MT | 2,857 | $36,373 | 2.1% | |
| 56 | Boulder, MT | 1,214 | $54,609 | 6.0% | |
| 57 | Plains, MT | 1,181 | $25,313 | 2.5% | |
| 58 | Whitehall, MT | 1,129 | $41,477 | 9.6% | |
| 59 | Townsend, MT | 2,176 | $65,522 | 12.8% | |
| 60 | Corvallis, MT | 1,396 | $62,034 | 7.5% | |
| 61 | St. Ignatius, MT | 1,019 | $46,250 | 6.9% | |
| 62 | Eureka, MT | 1,790 | $54,531 | 4.2% | |
| 63 | Wolf Point, MT | 2,634 | $46,389 | 16.6% | |
| 64 | Ronan, MT | 1,868 | $36,310 | 8.7% | |
| 65 | Marion, MT | 1,219 | $58,704 | 11.2% | |
| 66 | Pablo, MT | 1,799 | $35,395 | 8.2% | |
| 67 | North Browning, MT | 3,001 | $38,462 | 11.6% | |
| 68 | Hays, MT | 1,095 | $49,423 | 27.5% | |
| 69 | South Browning, MT | 1,654 | $26,101 | 15.3% | |
| 70 | Fort Belknap Agency, MT | 1,473 | $29,766 | 36.3% | |
| 71 | Lame Deer, MT | 2,064 | $31,250 | 26.3% | |
| 72 | Crow Agency, MT | 1,965 | $32,721 | 41.8% |
