State rankings

Best Counties to Live in Montana

Compare counties in Montana by overall score, affordability, economy, schools, safety, taxes, and peace & quiet. Rankings are public-data estimates for comparison and research.

#1 in MT

McCone County

78.4

Overall score

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#2 in MT

Wibaux County

77.9

Overall score

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#3 in MT

Fallon County

76.6

Overall score

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#4 in MT

Carter County

74.3

Overall score

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#5 in MT

Powder River County

73.1

Overall score

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Category highlights

Quick entry points for common county search priorities.

National rankings

Best overall

McCone County

Overall score 78.4

Most affordable

Prairie County

Affordability 81.6

Best schools

Gallatin County

Schools 97.2

Safest

Wibaux County

Safety 99.7

Lowest taxes

Wibaux County

Taxes 95.8

Best peace & quiet

Custer County

Peace & Quiet 96.2

All Montana counties

Showing 56 counties ranked by the default generated overall score.

Rank	County	Overall	Economy	Afford.	Schools	Safety	Taxes	Peace & Quiet	Typical home	Income
1	McCone County FIPS 30055	78.4	71.9	60	92.4	98.5	77.9	86.6	$254,778	$69,375
2	Wibaux County FIPS 30109	77.9	60.9	58.4	95.9	99.7	95.8	87.5	$239,789	$67,462
3	Fallon County FIPS 30025	76.6	67.7	73.6	72.3	98	77.1	88.4	$192,157	$76,250
4	Carter County FIPS 30011	74.3	77.9	61.5	77.9	-	83.9	86.2	$187,364	$54,167
5	Powder River County FIPS 30075	73.1	84.4	45	73.6	88.5	84.4	86.5	$299,261	$67,045
6	Jefferson County FIPS 30043	71.6	86.6	30.2	92.8	75.6	79.6	91.4	$529,867	$95,490
7	Petroleum County FIPS 30069	70.5	63.3	61.4	83.1	-	77.6	88.1	$211,297	$60,208
8	Gallatin County FIPS 30031	70.3	91.8	12.6	97.2	90.7	65.4	91.6	$697,179	$93,528
9	Prairie County FIPS 30079	69.6	68.1	81.6	55.1	74.8	53.6	91.4	$139,580	$51,250
10	Sheridan County FIPS 30091	69.3	70.2	74	59.2	71.1	63	89.4	$176,230	$70,147
11	Dawson County FIPS 30021	69.1	68.4	75.5	53.4	87.6	47.6	91.1	$192,885	$71,334
12	Fergus County FIPS 30027	68.9	64.1	38.8	91	85.6	73.7	94.4	$314,071	$63,706
13	Daniels County FIPS 30019	68.8	60.3	72.7	77.4	-	54.3	85.9	$168,085	$55,625
14	Richland County FIPS 30083	68.6	77.8	54.3	58	85.7	67.8	86.6	$274,829	$73,084
15	Beaverhead County FIPS 30001	68.2	72.9	18.5	94.7	97.4	72.3	92	$399,744	$61,268
16	Custer County FIPS 30017	67.8	75.6	62.8	45.2	93	54.3	96.2	$246,185	$70,605
17	Liberty County FIPS 30051	67.7	48.8	56.2	89.9	80	67.4	95.1	$223,792	$57,857
18	Lewis and Clark County FIPS 30049	66.8	80.8	23.9	86.5	83.1	61.4	94.7	$462,125	$78,237
19	Chouteau County FIPS 30015	66.7	55.8	29.1	94.5	96.5	77.2	88.1	$314,698	$58,218
20	Musselshell County FIPS 30065	66.3	56.7	61.2	65.9	76.7	78.5	85.6	$241,728	$58,920
21	Judith Basin County FIPS 30045	66.2	59.7	36.3	77.5	90.3	89.3	85	$304,861	$59,000
22	Yellowstone County FIPS 30111	65.8	78.2	37.9	67.4	84.1	60.9	92.6	$393,359	$76,570
23	Teton County FIPS 30099	65.7	57.8	39.4	88.8	79.1	73.1	89.8	$349,224	$70,430
24	Stillwater County FIPS 30095	64.8	69.3	26.4	87.9	75.8	77.9	82	$485,137	$84,732
25	Park County FIPS 30067	64.4	70.4	14.5	89.1	90.6	73.8	88.3	$601,228	$70,047
26	Missoula County FIPS 30063	63.8	78.2	12.2	91.3	88.1	50.7	93.5	$570,556	$75,598
27	Toole County FIPS 30101	63.7	59	65.8	72.6	57.2	47.7	92.6	$181,922	$57,731
28	Flathead County FIPS 30029	63.6	77.4	15.3	91.7	71.3	68.8	90.9	$639,812	$73,925
29	Ravalli County FIPS 30081	63.5	75.2	18.8	76.7	82.5	78.1	88.6	$596,540	$71,283
30	Broadwater County FIPS 30007	62.2	79.1	21	77.1	66.1	75.2	86.1	$524,251	$70,374
31	Valley County FIPS 30105	61.9	62.8	75.1	42	72.5	37.2	87.9	$182,545	$71,695
32	Powell County FIPS 30077	61.3	66.3	42.4	70.7	58.3	66.9	91.2	$318,530	$66,923
33	Garfield County FIPS 30033	60.7	51.4	33.2	85.6	-	92.8	79.9	$337,113	$69,583
34	Granite County FIPS 30039	60.7	50.2	14.6	96.6	93.7	72.7	76.4	$442,322	$59,265
35	Madison County FIPS 30057	60.3	54.3	11.3	93.8	83.3	87.2	77.7	$748,296	$75,250
36	Treasure County FIPS 30103	60	65.3	57.3	39.5	-	78.5	90.9	$246,157	$67,917
37	Meagher County FIPS 30059	59.7	73.6	44.8	36.7	74.6	76.3	78.1	$312,169	$71,932
38	Carbon County FIPS 30009	59.2	77.3	12.5	67.9	76	78.6	78.2	$508,256	$80,261
39	Silver Bow County FIPS 30093	58.5	58.2	48.7	84.2	34.7	50.8	92.1	$280,525	$61,754
40	Cascade County FIPS 30013	57.8	68.4	40	90	10.7	64	94.7	$337,138	$67,690
41	Phillips County FIPS 30071	56.7	45	54.7	63.1	52.6	66.7	92.3	$223,069	$53,417
42	Sanders County FIPS 30089	56.7	43.7	20.3	72.1	94.4	77.3	87.7	$447,471	$57,476
43	Sweet Grass County FIPS 30097	56.5	73.5	16.2	81.3	31.1	88.5	86.8	$486,041	$77,000
44	Mineral County FIPS 30061	56	54.1	29.3	44.8	93.6	78.6	85.2	$382,886	$63,450
45	Golden Valley County FIPS 30037	55.6	46.7	54.7	33.7	74.4	83.6	80.1	$248,587	$58,333
46	Wheatland County FIPS 30107	54.9	38.1	64.9	31	71.8	77.4	88.7	$176,919	$49,489
47	Lincoln County FIPS 30053	53.5	41.4	21	60.9	88.9	78.6	91.4	$426,012	$47,143
48	Rosebud County FIPS 30087	53.5	45.1	48.7	30.5	78.9	74.4	93.4	$224,632	$49,914
49	Blaine County FIPS 30005	52.5	48.8	64.8	24.3	62.7	51.9	93.3	$214,055	$64,813
50	Deer Lodge County FIPS 30023	50.3	59.7	41.6	20.1	64	68.5	90	$286,576	$57,527
51	Pondera County FIPS 30073	48.7	39.5	39.3	14.9	97.4	68.1	91	$260,328	$52,338
52	Glacier County FIPS 30035	48.3	30.4	59.6	1.8	97	62.3	92.9	$178,024	$46,875
53	Hill County FIPS 30041	48.2	46.7	48.8	21.4	65.8	54.3	95.5	$231,658	$52,798
54	Big Horn County FIPS 30003	45.5	41.5	61.1	0.6	56.6	66.7	91.8	$217,738	$58,750
55	Roosevelt County FIPS 30085	44.6	37.3	74.2	1.6	46.2	50.9	88.2	$143,771	$57,063
56	Lake County FIPS 30047	44.3	62.9	13.5	31	50.3	72.2	84.1	$585,034	$63,360