Families are important to the Treasure State, and HomeSnacks is here to tell you just how important. You can’t have strong families without great infrastructure, so we set out to determine where Montana’s strongest family oriented places are located. And lucky for you, this quest led us to create a list of Montana’s most family friendly places for 2026.
How did we determine Montana’s most family friendly places? We consulted the US Census on places in Big Sky Country with more than 2,000 residents. We looked at several factors: crime, education, family friendly activities, and the percent of households that currently have children. We ended up with 30 family friendly Montana places.
We discovered that Montana is the fourth largest state in the United States, but the eighth least populated. We think that’s all the more reason to have your family live in one of Montana’s family friendly places: there’s plenty of mountain ranges and prairies for your kids to run, and there’s plenty of opportunity to make a difference. We also determined that there are places in Montana for every type of family. There are hip mommy and daddy towns like Bozeman, cool cowboy/cowgirl towns like Hamilton, and towns like Whitefish for families that like to ski and snowboard.
Speaking of family friendly amenities, in Montana, the big sky’s the limit. You can have your family camping in the Kootenai National Forest just outside of Libby and swimming on the Bigfork side of Flathead Lake all in the same weekend. That’s a Montana family win!
To learn more about our methodology and to see why Montana’s top ten best places to raise a family are truly the best of the best, read on.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What do 260,000 families already know in Montana? They know that the state has great schools, great jobs, and tons of family friendly activities to keep their families happy, healthy, and entertained. And this is most evident in Montana’s number one best place for families for 2026, Manhattan.
To see how your favorite place in Montana compared, take a look at the list below. And if you don’t find your favorite there, head to the bottom.
More reading about Montana and the best places for families in the country:
- Best Places To Live In Montana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Montana
- Best Cities To Raise A Family In America
- Best States To Raise A Family In America
The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Montana For 2026
/10
Population: 2,288
Median Income: $87,865
Average Home Price: $659,491
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 50
Closest Major City: Spokane
Households with kids: 34.0%
More on Manhattan: Movers
/10
/10
Population: 2,130
Median Income: $60,096
Average Home Price: $614,348
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 55
Closest Major City: Spokane
Households with kids: 29.9%
More on Stevensville: Crime | Movers
/10
Population: 8,749
Median Income: $73,811
Average Home Price: $864,156
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 56
Closest Major City: Spokane
Households with kids: 20.4%
More on Whitefish: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
/10
Population: 28,504
Median Income: $63,415
Average Home Price: $552,745
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 58
Closest Major City: Spokane
Households with kids: 26.7%
More on Kalispell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 2,502
Median Income: $55,750
Average Home Price: $523,071
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 60
Closest Major City: Spokane
Households with kids: 9.9%
More on Red Lodge: Crime | Movers
/10
Population: 3,742
Median Income: $60,423
Average Home Price: $213,956
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 53
Closest Major City: Denver
Households with kids: 27.2%
More on Hardin: Data | Movers
/10
Population: 2,101
Median Income: $82,500
Average Home Price: $226,809
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 51
Closest Major City: Denver
Households with kids: 33.9%
More on Colstrip: Crime | Movers
/10
Population: 5,615
Median Income: $75,766
Average Home Price: $599,165
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 51
Closest Major City: Spokane
Households with kids: 35.5%
More on Columbia Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in Montana anyways?
To give you the places in Montana that are best for families, we must look at a handful of metrics. We want to measure the criteria people want in a family-friendly city utilizing Saturday Night Science.
After researching U.S. Census data produced for the state of Montana, we looked at the data for every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries, and colleges)
We then gave each city a “Family Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with over 2,000 people. For Montana, that meant a total of 30 cities.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best cities for families in Montana.
Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In Montana
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Montana ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
The best places for families in Montana are Manhattan, Dillon, Stevensville, Whitefish, Glasgow, Kalispell, Red Lodge, Hardin, Colstrip, and Columbia Falls.
Here’s a look at the best cities for singles Montana according to the data:
- Lewistown
- Laurel
- Sidney
For more Montana reading, check out:
Best Places For Families In Montana
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Amenities Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manhattan, MT | 2,288 | $87,865 | $659,491 | 36 |
| 2 | Dillon, MT | 4,085 | $61,134 | $391,899 | 38 |
| 3 | Stevensville, MT | 2,130 | $60,096 | $614,348 | 46 |
| 4 | Whitefish, MT | 8,749 | $73,811 | $864,156 | 62 |
| 5 | Glasgow, MT | 3,190 | $90,310 | $156,841 | 35 |
| 6 | Kalispell, MT | 28,504 | $63,415 | $552,745 | 68 |
| 7 | Red Lodge, MT | 2,502 | $55,750 | $523,071 | 66 |
| 8 | Hardin, MT | 3,742 | $60,423 | $213,956 | 57 |
| 9 | Colstrip, MT | 2,101 | $82,500 | $226,809 | 39 |
| 10 | Columbia Falls, MT | 5,615 | $75,766 | $599,165 | 36 |