Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Montana a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Montana.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Treasure State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Montana, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 56 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Montana For 2025
- Gallatin County
- Jefferson County
- Treasure County
- Lewis and Clark County
- Madison County
- McCone County
- Stillwater County
- Richland County
- Petroleum County
- Fallon County
Gallatin County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Montana. And you should avoid Glacier County if you can — at least according to the 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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Montana For 2025
1. Gallatin County
Biggest Place: Bozeman
Population: 122,194
Median Income: $87,454 (best)
Median Home Price: $604,900 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (17th best)
More on Gallatin County:
2. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Montana City
Population: 12,501
Median Income: $76,576 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $408,000 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (22nd best)
More on Jefferson County:
3. Treasure County
Biggest Place: Hysham
Population: 761
Median Income: $73,036 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $215,300 (28th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.1% (8th best)
More on Treasure County:
4. Lewis And Clark County
Biggest Place: Helena
Population: 72,580
Median Income: $74,543 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $358,200 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (34th best)
More on Lewis And Clark County:
5. Madison County
Biggest Place: Big Sky
Population: 8,975
Median Income: $67,420 (18th best)
Median Home Price: $440,500 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.5% (13th best)
More on Madison County:
6. Mccone County
Biggest Place: Circle
Population: 1,818
Median Income: $71,842 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $197,400 (35th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (19th best)
More on Mccone County:
7. Stillwater County
Biggest Place: Columbus
Population: 9,052
Median Income: $81,503 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $355,600 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (29th best)
More on Stillwater County:
8. Richland County
Biggest Place: Sidney
Population: 11,329
Median Income: $69,578 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $259,000 (19th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (36th best)
More on Richland County:
9. Petroleum County
Biggest Place: Winnett
Population: 401
Median Income: $59,318 (32nd best)
Median Home Price: $173,700 (46th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.9% (6th best)
More on Petroleum County:
10. Fallon County
Biggest Place: Baker
Population: 2,817
Median Income: $72,284 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $237,000 (24th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0% (2nd best)
More on Fallon County:
Methodology: How do you determine which Montana county is the best?
To give you the best county in Montana, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. 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 two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Montana across each of the criteria from one to 56, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Montana.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Treasure State.
We updated this article for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Montana.
Read on to see why Gallatin County is the best county, while Glacier County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Montana.
Summary: The Best Counties In Montana To Call Home For 2025
Living in Montana can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Montana are Gallatin County, Jefferson County, Treasure County, Lewis and Clark County, Madison County, McCone County, Stillwater County, Richland County, Petroleum County, and Fallon County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Montana according to the data:
- Glacier County
- Roosevelt County
- Big Horn County
For more Montana reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Montana
- Best Counties To Live In Montana
- Best Places To Buy A House In Montana
- Best Places To Retire In Montana
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Montana
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gallatin County | 122,194 | $87,454 | $604,900 |
| 2 | Jefferson County | 12,501 | $76,576 | $408,000 |
| 3 | Treasure County | 761 | $73,036 | $215,300 |
| 4 | Lewis And Clark County | 72,580 | $74,543 | $358,200 |
| 5 | Madison County | 8,975 | $67,420 | $440,500 |
| 6 | Mccone County | 1,818 | $71,842 | $197,400 |
| 7 | Stillwater County | 9,052 | $81,503 | $355,600 |
| 8 | Richland County | 11,329 | $69,578 | $259,000 |
| 9 | Petroleum County | 401 | $59,318 | $173,700 |
| 10 | Fallon County | 2,817 | $72,284 | $237,000 |
| 11 | Missoula County | 119,639 | $71,246 | $423,100 |
| 12 | Sweet Grass County | 3,713 | $69,426 | $295,500 |
| 13 | Meagher County | 1,979 | $56,215 | $244,400 |
| 14 | Flathead County | 108,445 | $71,327 | $467,700 |
| 15 | Yellowstone County | 167,340 | $74,400 | $317,600 |
| 16 | Carbon County | 10,877 | $71,017 | $379,300 |
| 17 | Park County | 17,484 | $66,607 | $429,700 |
| 18 | Dawson County | 8,874 | $70,953 | $187,400 |
| 19 | Ravalli County | 45,807 | $71,323 | $435,000 |
| 20 | Teton County | 6,291 | $67,766 | $235,500 |
| 21 | Daniels County | 1,524 | $58,000 | $177,800 |
| 22 | Wibaux County | 1,148 | $64,792 | $92,300 |
| 23 | Powder River County | 1,762 | $68,009 | $149,400 |
| 24 | Cascade County | 84,601 | $66,203 | $243,300 |
| 25 | Custer County | 11,938 | $63,585 | $204,200 |
| 26 | Powell County | 7,029 | $63,432 | $255,700 |
| 27 | Valley County | 7,540 | $64,515 | $198,600 |
| 28 | Beaverhead County | 9,590 | $58,072 | $282,000 |
| 29 | Garfield County | 938 | $61,750 | $178,300 |
| 30 | Judith Basin County | 2,053 | $55,417 | $214,200 |
| 31 | Broadwater County | 7,310 | $63,636 | $364,800 |
| 32 | Phillips County | 4,224 | $58,156 | $175,000 |
| 33 | Chouteau County | 5,888 | $56,927 | $185,100 |
| 34 | Mineral County | 4,796 | $61,117 | $313,600 |
| 35 | Granite County | 3,419 | $54,646 | $339,500 |
| 36 | Silver Bow County | 35,589 | $57,504 | $223,500 |
| 37 | Sheridan County | 3,677 | $63,654 | $111,600 |
| 38 | Fergus County | 11,581 | $59,731 | $202,700 |
| 39 | Lake County | 32,073 | $61,965 | $369,200 |
| 40 | Liberty County | 1,968 | $53,264 | $116,800 |
| 41 | Deer Lodge County | 9,512 | $49,533 | $209,700 |
| 42 | Sanders County | 12,936 | $54,035 | $323,800 |
| 43 | Prairie County | 1,251 | $45,192 | $167,100 |
| 44 | Golden Valley County | 840 | $57,353 | $203,900 |
| 45 | Musselshell County | 5,068 | $59,010 | $221,200 |
| 46 | Carter County | 1,361 | $52,171 | $176,600 |
| 47 | Toole County | 5,028 | $53,693 | $187,400 |
| 48 | Wheatland County | 2,049 | $47,054 | $172,700 |
| 49 | Hill County | 16,260 | $55,313 | $187,600 |
| 50 | Lincoln County | 20,656 | $47,018 | $258,700 |
| 51 | Rosebud County | 8,236 | $56,430 | $188,900 |
| 52 | Blaine County | 6,997 | $65,050 | $124,900 |
| 53 | Pondera County | 6,012 | $53,500 | $179,200 |
| 54 | Big Horn County | 12,963 | $56,680 | $148,200 |
| 55 | Roosevelt County | 10,665 | $53,125 | $119,400 |
| 56 | Glacier County | 13,713 | $45,129 | $153,400 |