Now that you’ve hung up your office attire for the last time. you’re ready to look for a spot to spend your golden years in Big Sky Country. You’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a list of the best places to retire in Montana.
Between Yellowstone in the south and Glacier National Park in the north, there isn’t a corner of Montana that isn’t rife with epic landscapes and majestic wildlife. You could honestly hunt and fish in Montana for decades without seeing all there is to see.
How did we determine the best places to retire in Montana? We looked at the 30 cities with more than 2,000 people. We then compared data from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights to figure out which spots were safe, affordable, sunny, relatively older, and fun.
Whether you’re retiring in Montana to get away from it all or still want access to big-city amenities without the high price tag, we’ve got you covered.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Which place had it all going on when it comes to retirement? According to the data, Red Lodge is the best place to retire in Montana for 2026.
There’s no geographic cheat-sheet when it comes to retiring in Montana, because the places on this list are fairly well-distributed throughout the state.
If you want to be near a big city like Billings or Missoula, then Columbus or Stevensville will be your best respective options. If you don’t want to drive to get to a beautiful spot, then Libby, located smack dab in the middle of Kootenai National Forest is where you’ll want to be.
Get ready to order up a nice fresh elk burger and some huckleberry bear claws, because we’re heading to the best places to retire in Montana.
Why did Red Lodge take the top spot? And where are Billings and Missoula?
For more Montana state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Montana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Montana
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Montana
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Montana For 2026
/10
Population: 2,502
Median Income: $55,750
Median Home Price: $523,071
Median Rent: $717
Distance to Closest Airport: 187 miles
More on Red Lodge: Crime | Movers
/10
Population: 3,042
Median Income: $34,143
Median Home Price: $346,685
Median Rent: $672
Distance to Closest Airport: 59 miles
More on Libby: Crime | Movers
/10
Population: 3,021
Median Income: $60,302
Median Home Price: $285,278
Median Rent: $852
Distance to Closest Airport: 73 miles
More on Deer Lodge: Crime | Movers
/10
Population: 2,130
Median Income: $60,096
Median Home Price: $614,348
Median Rent: $1,064
Distance to Closest Airport: 28 miles
More on Stevensville: Crime | Movers
/10
Population: 4,810
Median Income: $72,670
Median Home Price: $192,739
Median Rent: $842
Distance to Closest Airport: 89 miles
More on Glendive: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 2,618
Median Income: $47,857
Median Home Price: $252,615
Median Rent: $918
Distance to Closest Airport: 54 miles
More on Conrad: Crime | Movers
/10
/10
Population: 2,602
Median Income: $52,868
Median Home Price: $141,601
Median Rent: $734
Distance to Closest Airport: 92 miles
More on Wolf Point: Crime | Movers
/10
Population: 3,742
Median Income: $60,423
Median Home Price: $213,956
Median Rent: $771
Distance to Closest Airport: 203 miles
More on Hardin: Data | Movers
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Treasure State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Montana to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Treasure State — 362 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 2,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 30 places from across the state.
For these 30, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 30, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Red Lodge, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Montana.
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Montana Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Montana goes to Red Lodge.
The best places to retire in Montana are Red Lodge, Libby, Deer Lodge, Stevensville, Glendive, Conrad, Glasgow, Wolf Point, Hardin, and Hamilton.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Bozeman
- Billings
- Belgrade
For more Montana reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Montana
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Lodge | 2,502 | $55,750 | $523,071 | $717 |
| 2 | Libby | 3,042 | $34,143 | $346,685 | $672 |
| 3 | Deer Lodge | 3,021 | $60,302 | $285,278 | $852 |
| 4 | Stevensville | 2,130 | $60,096 | $614,348 | $1,064 |
| 5 | Glendive | 4,810 | $72,670 | $192,739 | $842 |
| 6 | Conrad | 2,618 | $47,857 | $252,615 | $918 |
| 7 | Glasgow | 3,190 | $90,310 | $156,841 | $805 |
| 8 | Wolf Point | 2,602 | $52,868 | $141,601 | $734 |
| 9 | Hardin | 3,742 | $60,423 | $213,956 | $771 |
| 10 | Hamilton | 5,101 | $49,204 | $526,561 | $947 |