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 2026
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 2026
1. Gallatin County
Biggest Place: Bozeman
Population: 124,074
Median Income: $93,528 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $697,179 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (20th best)
More on Gallatin County: Data
2. Fallon County
Biggest Place: Baker
Population: 2,760
Median Income: $76,250 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $192,156 (47th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0% (2nd best)
More on Fallon County: Data
3. Lewis And Clark County
Biggest Place: Helena
Population: 73,464
Median Income: $78,237 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $462,124 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (32nd best)
More on Lewis And Clark County: Data
4. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Montana City
Population: 12,774
Median Income: $95,490 (best)
Median Home Price: $529,866 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (42nd best)
More on Jefferson County: Data
5. Stillwater County
Biggest Place: Columbus
Population: 9,182
Median Income: $84,732 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $485,136 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (27th best)
More on Stillwater County: Data
6. Sweet Grass County
Biggest Place: Big Timber
Population: 3,720
Median Income: $77,000 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $486,040 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.8% (16th best)
More on Sweet Grass County: Data
7. Mccone County
Biggest Place: Circle
Population: 1,670
Median Income: $69,375 (23rd best)
Median Home Price: $254,778 (33rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (19th best)
More on Mccone County: Data
8. Madison County
Biggest Place: Big Sky
Population: 9,223
Median Income: $75,250 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $748,296 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (29th best)
More on Madison County: Data
9. Missoula County
Biggest Place: Missoula
Population: 120,672
Median Income: $75,598 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $570,555 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (40th best)
More on Missoula County: Data
10. Carbon County
Biggest Place: Red Lodge
Population: 11,116
Median Income: $80,261 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $508,255 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (45th best)
More on Carbon County: Data
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 2026. This report is our eleventh 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 2026
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, Fallon County, Lewis and Clark County, Jefferson County, Stillwater County, Sweet Grass County, McCone County, Madison County, Missoula County, and Carbon 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
- Rosebud County
For more Montana reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Montana
- Safest Places In Montana
- Best Counties To Live In Montana
- Richest Cities In Montana
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Montana
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gallatin County | 124,074 | $93,528 | $697,179 |
| 2 | Fallon County | 2,760 | $76,250 | $192,156 |
| 3 | Lewis And Clark County | 73,464 | $78,237 | $462,124 |
| 4 | Jefferson County | 12,774 | $95,490 | $529,866 |
| 5 | Stillwater County | 9,182 | $84,732 | $485,136 |
| 6 | Sweet Grass County | 3,720 | $77,000 | $486,040 |
| 7 | Mccone County | 1,670 | $69,375 | $254,778 |
| 8 | Madison County | 9,223 | $75,250 | $748,296 |
| 9 | Missoula County | 120,672 | $75,598 | $570,555 |
| 10 | Carbon County | 11,116 | $80,261 | $508,255 |
| 11 | Richland County | 11,235 | $73,084 | $274,828 |
| 12 | Meagher County | 2,007 | $71,932 | $312,168 |
| 13 | Petroleum County | 447 | $60,208 | $211,297 |
| 14 | Park County | 17,710 | $70,047 | $601,227 |
| 15 | Flathead County | 110,695 | $73,925 | $639,811 |
| 16 | Yellowstone County | 168,957 | $76,570 | $393,358 |
| 17 | Treasure County | 732 | $67,917 | $246,156 |
| 18 | Powell County | 7,053 | $66,923 | $318,529 |
| 19 | Garfield County | 1,094 | $69,583 | $337,113 |
| 20 | Teton County | 6,353 | $70,430 | $349,224 |
| 21 | Beaverhead County | 9,713 | $61,268 | $399,744 |
| 22 | Valley County | 7,519 | $71,695 | $182,545 |
| 23 | Ravalli County | 46,727 | $71,283 | $596,540 |
| 24 | Dawson County | 8,827 | $71,334 | $192,885 |
| 25 | Powder River County | 1,815 | $67,045 | $299,261 |
| 26 | Wibaux County | 1,193 | $67,462 | $239,789 |
| 27 | Custer County | 11,961 | $70,605 | $246,184 |
| 28 | Cascade County | 84,606 | $67,690 | $337,137 |
| 29 | Judith Basin County | 2,071 | $59,000 | $304,860 |
| 30 | Daniels County | 1,494 | $55,625 | $168,084 |
| 31 | Chouteau County | 5,906 | $58,218 | $314,698 |
| 32 | Broadwater County | 7,668 | $70,374 | $524,251 |
| 33 | Phillips County | 4,221 | $53,417 | $223,068 |
| 34 | Granite County | 3,462 | $59,265 | $442,321 |
| 35 | Prairie County | 1,250 | $51,250 | $139,580 |
| 36 | Sheridan County | 3,669 | $70,147 | $176,229 |
| 37 | Mineral County | 4,959 | $63,450 | $382,886 |
| 38 | Silver Bow County | 35,785 | $61,754 | $280,525 |
| 39 | Liberty County | 1,952 | $57,857 | $223,792 |
| 40 | Fergus County | 11,687 | $63,706 | $314,071 |
| 41 | Deer Lodge County | 9,597 | $57,527 | $286,576 |
| 42 | Carter County | 1,308 | $54,167 | $187,363 |
| 43 | Lake County | 32,561 | $63,360 | $585,034 |
| 44 | Sanders County | 13,285 | $57,476 | $447,470 |
| 45 | Golden Valley County | 899 | $58,333 | $248,586 |
| 46 | Wheatland County | 2,056 | $49,489 | $176,918 |
| 47 | Lincoln County | 21,175 | $47,143 | $426,011 |
| 48 | Toole County | 5,061 | $57,731 | $181,921 |
| 49 | Musselshell County | 5,152 | $58,920 | $241,727 |
| 50 | Pondera County | 6,035 | $52,338 | $260,328 |
| 51 | Hill County | 16,155 | $52,798 | $231,657 |
| 52 | Blaine County | 6,949 | $64,813 | $214,054 |
| 53 | Big Horn County | 12,891 | $58,750 | $217,738 |
| 54 | Rosebud County | 8,165 | $49,914 | $224,632 |
| 55 | Roosevelt County | 10,526 | $57,063 | $143,771 |
| 56 | Glacier County | 13,637 | $46,875 | $178,024 |