Cost of living in Polson research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Polson is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Montana, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Polson is 95, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Polson is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Polson ranks as the #4 cheapest in Montana out of 25.
Polson ranks as the #1,954 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Polson is $563,761.
The median income in Polson is $51,463.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Polson has an overall cost of living index of 95, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Montana, Polson has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Montana's index of 101.
The standard of living in Polson ranks as #4 most affordable out of the 25 places we measured in Montana. By definition, that implies Polson ranks as the #21 most expensive place in the Treasure State.
For more reading on life in Polson, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Polson. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Polson is 88.
The Groceries index in Polson is 101.
The Health index in Polson is 94.
The Housing index in Polson is 97.
The Transportation index in Polson is 102.
The Utilities index in Polson is 93.
| Living Expense | Polson | Montana | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 95 | 101 | 100 | |
| Services | 88 | 104 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 101 | 102 | 100 | |
| Health | 94 | 99 | 100 | |
| Housing | 97 | 100 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 102 | 107 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 93 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Montana, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Polson is $563,761.
The Median Rent in Polson is $921.
The Median Income in Polson is $51,463.
The Home Value To Income in Polson is 11.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Polson is 0.21x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Polson. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Forest Hill, TX has a cost of living index of 95, 1.0x Polson.
Evergreen, MT has a cost of living index of 102, 1.1x Polson.
Columbia Falls, MT has a cost of living index of 97, 1.0x Polson.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Polson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Hill, TX | 13,923 | 95 | 1.0x |
| Evergreen, MT | 8,908 | 102 | 1.1x |
| Columbia Falls, MT | 5,531 | 97 | 1.0x |