There are all types when it comes to being a snob in Montana. You’ve got your Wine Snobs, Book Snobs, and, of course, Clothes Snobs. Then there are the Technology Snobs, Car Snobs, and yes, even City Snobs — as in, I’m better than you because I live in (insert snooty city here).
How can we tell which Montana cities are the snobbiest? By measuring snobby things, that’s how.
We used Saturday Night Science to look at things like expensive homes, high incomes, and overly educated populations by city in Montana. These are the criteria you’d argue with a friend over a foodie dinner about who’s snobbier.
After analyzing 34 of the state’s most populous areas over 2,000 people, we came up with this ranking of the ten snobbiest places in the state of Montana.
The Montanan in these places aren’t snobby, they just know they’re better than you.
$85,747 median income · $724,089 median home · #4 income in Montana
Located in
Gallatin County, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. Located in southwest Montana, the 2010 census put Bozeman’s population at 37,280 and by 2016 the population rose to 45,250, making it the fourth largest city in Montana. It is the principal city of the Bozeman, MT Micropolitan Statistical Area, consisting of all of Gallatin County with a population of 97,304. It is the largest Micropolitan Statistical Area in Montana and is the third largest of all of Montana-s statistical areas.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$73,811 median income · $864,157 median home · #7 income in Montana
Located in
Flathead County, Montana
Whitefish is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 6,357 at the 2010 census. It is home to a ski resort on Big Mountain called Whitefish Mountain Resort.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$87,865 median income · $659,491 median home · #3 income in Montana
$97,328 median income · $548,236 median home · #1 income in Montana
Located in
Gallatin County, Montana
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$70,392 median income · $564,622 median home · #11 income in Montana
Located in
Missoula County, Montana
Missoula is a city in the U.S. state of Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluences with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five mountain ranges, thus is often described as the “hub of five valleys”. In 2016, the United States Census Bureau estimated the city’s population at 72,364 and the population of the Missoula Metropolitan Area at 116,130. In the 1990s, Missoula overtook GreatFalls as Montana-s secondlargest city, behind Billings. Missoula is home to the University of Montana, a public research university.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$75,766 median income · $599,165 median home · #6 income in Montana
Columbia Falls is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 4,710 at the 2010 census
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$71,036 median income · $474,029 median home · #10 income in Montana
Located in
Lewis and Clark County, Montana
Helena is the state capital of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$65,861 median income · $531,831 median home · #13 income in Montana
Located in
Park County, Montana
Livingston is a city and the county seat of Park County, Montana, United States. Livingston is located in southwestern Montana, on the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone National Park. The population was 7,044 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$73,712 median income · $392,209 median home · #8 income in Montana
Located in
Yellowstone County, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the state of Montana, and the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area with a population of 166,855. It has a trade area of over half a million people.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$63,415 median income · $552,745 median home · #15 income in Montana
Located in
Flathead County, Montana
Kalispell is a city in, and the county seat of Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2015 Census estimates put Kalispell’s population at 22,052. The Kalispell Micropolitan Statistical Area has a population of 93,068 and it is the largest city and commercial center of northwest Montana. The name Kalispell is a Salish word meaning “flat land above the lake”. Kalispell is also the gateway to Glacier National Park.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Montana’s statewide median.
Montana statewide median: $72,509
Montana statewide median: $466,917
On the map
Where the snobs live in Montana
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the snobbiest cities in the Treasure State
Do you think we’d just come up with this list willy-nilly? Not a chance – we only use Saturday Night Science around here.
We gathered up all of the places in Montana with populations of 2,000 people or more. This left us with a total of 34 places. Then, we looked at each place in terms of these snoot-er-iffic criteria (And no, it’s not a word. English snob.):
- Median home price (Higher is snobbier)
- Median household income (Higher is snobbier)
- Percent of population with a college degree (Higher is snobbier)
Incomes and college education levels come from the American Community Survey. Home prices come from Zillow.
Turned out this simple criteria was much better at sniffing out the snobby places then more snobby criteria like:
- Libaries per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Museums per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Private schools per capita (Higher is snobbier)
From there, we ranked each of our 34 places in each category with scores from one to 34. We then averaged each place’s ranking into one overall score, where the lowest score went to the snobbiest place in Montana. So let’s all flip a table in honor of Bozeman (with our pinkies up, of course.)
Before you get upset and ruin your blowout or something drastic here, let’s remember that this is all in good fun. Would we live in one of these 10 places if we had the chance? Of course, we would.
And it’s not like your real estate agent would ever point out how snobby the town you’re moving to is. We’re here to keep you grounded, even if you’re wearing a monocle.
The full plate
Table: The Snobbiest Cities In Montana For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Snob Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Adult Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bozeman | 2.33 | 56,114 | $85,747 | $724,089 | 65.0% |
| 2 | Whitefish | 3.33 | 8,749 | $73,811 | $864,157 | 57.0% |
| 3 | Manhattan | 5.83 | 2,288 | $87,865 | $659,491 | 33.0% |
| 4 | Belgrade | 6.00 | 11,872 | $97,328 | $548,236 | 37.0% |
| 5 | Missoula | 6.67 | 76,514 | $70,392 | $564,622 | 53.0% |
| 6 | Columbia Falls | 7.50 | 5,615 | $75,766 | $599,165 | 33.0% |
| 7 | Helena | 9.00 | 33,639 | $71,036 | $474,029 | 50.0% |
| 8 | Livingston | 9.67 | 8,780 | $65,861 | $531,831 | 39.0% |
| 9 | Billings | 10.67 | 119,434 | $73,712 | $392,209 | 37.0% |
| 10 | Kalispell | 11.00 | 28,504 | $63,415 | $552,745 | 35.0% |
| 11 | Red Lodge | 13.67 | 2,502 | $55,750 | $523,072 | 46.0% |
| 12 | Dillon | 14.33 | 4,085 | $61,134 | $391,900 | 37.0% |
| 13 | Stevensville | 14.67 | 2,130 | $60,096 | $614,349 | 26.0% |
| 14 | Polson | 16.00 | 5,428 | $53,418 | $560,671 | 29.0% |
| 15 | Columbus | 16.83 | 2,003 | $65,250 | $455,987 | 24.0% |
| 16 | Colstrip | 17.33 | 2,101 | $82,500 | $226,810 | 26.0% |
| 17 | Great Falls | 17.50 | 60,329 | $63,373 | $334,708 | 28.0% |
| 18 | Hamilton | 18.00 | 5,101 | $49,204 | $526,562 | 31.0% |
| 19 | Glasgow | 18.00 | 3,190 | $90,310 | $156,841 | 26.0% |
| 20 | Laurel | 18.67 | 7,215 | $68,474 | $374,157 | 21.0% |
| 21 | Glendive | 20.50 | 4,810 | $72,670 | $192,739 | 24.0% |
| 22 | Deer Lodge | 21.00 | 3,021 | $60,302 | $285,278 | 24.0% |
| 23 | Malta | 21.33 | 2,100 | $54,483 | $240,906 | 31.0% |
| 24 | Sidney | 21.67 | 6,171 | $62,538 | $269,780 | 22.0% |
| 25 | Havre | 23.83 | 9,258 | $50,329 | $232,554 | 28.0% |
| 26 | Hardin | 25.33 | 3,742 | $60,423 | $213,956 | 20.0% |
| 27 | Ronan | 25.33 | 2,001 | $42,298 | $427,544 | 20.0% |
| 28 | Conrad | 26.67 | 2,618 | $47,857 | $252,616 | 22.0% |
| 29 | Shelby | 27.00 | 3,216 | $58,413 | $179,084 | 20.0% |
| 30 | Roundup | 27.33 | 2,003 | $57,847 | $240,341 | 14.0% |
| 31 | Libby | 27.67 | 3,042 | $34,143 | $346,685 | 19.0% |
| 32 | Lewistown | 27.83 | 6,087 | $48,750 | $296,569 | 17.0% |
| 33 | Cut Bank | 30.83 | 3,028 | $49,432 | $178,057 | 17.0% |
| 34 | Wolf Point | 31.67 | 2,602 | $52,868 | $141,602 | 11.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 34 places with more than 2,000 residents.
Summary
There You Have It – Now That You’re On Your High Horse
When it comes to snobbery, these places in Montana are heading ever upward. Residents in these communities are well educated, well paid, and appear to have all the sophisticated culture and entertainment of an Ernst Lubitsch film right at their fingertips.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The snobbiest cities in Montana are Bozeman, Whitefish, Manhattan, Belgrade, Missoula, Columbia Falls, Helena, Livingston, Billings, and Kalispell.
