Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of Montana would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Treasure State?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in Montana with populations greater than 5,000 voted in past elections. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Republican were named the most conservative cities in the state.
82.8% Republican vote · #1 most conservative in Montana
Located in
Richland County, MontanaSidney is a city in and the county seat of Richland County, Montana, United States, less than 10mi away from the North Dakota border. The population was 5,191 at the 2010 census. The city lies along the Yellowstone River and is in proximity to the badlands of the Dakotas. Sidney is approximately midway between Glendive, Montana and Williston, North Dakota.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
74.8% Republican vote · #2 most conservative in Montana
Located in
Fergus County, MontanaLewistown is a city in and the county seat of Fergus County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,901 at the 2010 census. Lewistown is located in central Montana, the geographic center of the state, southeast of Great Falls. First planned in 1882, it was the site of an 1880s gold rush.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
71.8% Republican vote · #3 most conservative in Montana
Miles City is a city in and the county seat of Custer County, Montana, United States. The population was 8,410 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
67.1% Republican vote · #4 most conservative in Montana
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
63.9% Republican vote · #6 most conservative in Montana
Located in
Flathead County, MontanaWhitefish 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
63.9% Republican vote · #6 most conservative 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
63.9% Republican vote · #6 most conservative in Montana
Located in
Flathead County, MontanaKalispell 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
60.6% Republican vote · #8 most conservative in Montana
Located in
Yellowstone County, MontanaBillings 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
60.6% Republican vote · #8 most conservative in Montana
Located in
Yellowstone County, MontanaLaurel is a city in Yellowstone County, Montana, United States. It is the third largest community in the Billings Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is located in the Yellowstone Valley, as an east-west terminal division point of the Burlington-Northern Railroad. The population was 6,781 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
58.5% Republican vote · #10 most conservative in Montana
Located in
Cascade County, MontanaGreat Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The 2015 census estimate put the population at 59,638. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County and has a population of 82,278. Great Falls was the largest city in Montana from 1950 to 1970, when Billings surpassed it. Great Falls remained the second largest city in Montana until 2000, when it was passed by Missoula. Since then Great Falls has been the third largest city in the state.
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.
On the map
Mapping the conservative strongholds in Montana
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most conservative cities in Montana for 2026
To find the most conservative places in Montana, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most conservatives.
We started by making a list of every city in Montana over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 19 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places rock the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For The Republican President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Republicans, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 19 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Sidney, is “The Most Conservative City in Montana For 2026”. The most liberal place in Montana was Missoula.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most conservative places to live in Montana.
The full plate
Most Conservative Places In Montana
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Conservative Score | Population | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidney | 1.00 | 6,171 | 82.8% |
| 2 | Lewistown | 2.00 | 6,087 | 74.8% |
| 3 | Miles City | 3.00 | 8,407 | 71.8% |
| 4 | Hamilton | 4.00 | 5,101 | 67.1% |
| 6 | Whitefish | 6.00 | 8,749 | 63.9% |
| 6 | Columbia Falls | 6.00 | 5,615 | 63.9% |
| 6 | Kalispell | 6.00 | 28,504 | 63.9% |
| 8 | Billings | 8.50 | 119,434 | 60.6% |
| 8 | Laurel | 8.50 | 7,215 | 60.6% |
| 10 | Great Falls | 10.00 | 60,329 | 58.5% |
| 11 | Polson | 11.00 | 5,428 | 56.1% |
| 12 | Havre | 12.00 | 9,258 | 55.1% |
| 13 | Livingston | 13.00 | 8,780 | 52.1% |
| 14 | Helena | 14.00 | 33,639 | 50.7% |
| 15 | Anaconda-Deer Lodge County | 15.00 | 9,597 | 44.7% |
| 16 | Bozeman | 16.50 | 56,114 | 44.7% |
| 16 | Belgrade | 16.50 | 11,872 | 44.7% |
| 18 | Akaska | 18.00 | 35,052 | 41.5% |
| 19 | Missoula | 19.00 | 76,514 | 36.9% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 19 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in Montana
Well, there you have it, the places in Montana that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Sidney ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
The most conservative cities in Montana are Sidney, Lewistown, Miles City, Hamilton, Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Billings, Laurel, and Great Falls.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in Montana. Not sold on Montana? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
