Bozeman, Whitefish, Columbia Falls: These cities aren’t just some of the best places to live in Montana. They are also home to some of the richest people in the Treasure State.
Bozeman in particular houses the richest residents in the state thanks, in part, to a median household income of $85,747 and a ridiculously low poverty rate of 13.7%.
If you’re thinking of moving to one of these towns, you’ll probably need to start saving. The richest places in Montana share common characteristics such as having a genius level populous, sky high home prices, and a Pleasantville level of married couples.
How did we come up with these mega wealthy cities? We analyzed Census data from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey for the 26 places in Montana with more than 3,000 people.
$85,747 median income · 13.7% poverty · #3 income in Montana
Located in
Gallatin County, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. Located in southwest Montana, the 2010 census put Bozeman’s population at 37,280 and by 2016 the population rose to 45,250, making it the fourth largest city in Montana. It is the principal city of the Bozeman, MT Micropolitan Statistical Area, consisting of all of Gallatin County with a population of 97,304. It is the largest Micropolitan Statistical Area in Montana and is the third largest of all of Montana-s statistical areas.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$73,811 median income · 9.4% poverty · #5 income in Montana
Located in
Flathead County, Montana
Whitefish 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
$75,766 median income · 15.2% poverty · #4 income 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
$97,328 median income · 11.2% poverty · #1 income in Montana
Located in
Gallatin County, Montana
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$70,392 median income · 11.8% poverty · #9 income in Montana
Located in
Missoula County, Montana
Missoula is a city in the U.S. state of Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluences with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five mountain ranges, thus is often described as the “hub of five valleys”. In 2016, the United States Census Bureau estimated the city’s population at 72,364 and the population of the Missoula Metropolitan Area at 116,130. In the 1990s, Missoula overtook GreatFalls as Montana-s secondlargest city, behind Billings. Missoula is home to the University of Montana, a public research university.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$73,712 median income · 9.8% poverty · #6 income in Montana
Located in
Yellowstone County, Montana
Billings 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
$71,036 median income · 8.8% poverty · #8 income in Montana
Located in
Lewis and Clark County, Montana
Helena is the state capital of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$63,415 median income · 10.0% poverty · #13 income in Montana
Located in
Flathead County, Montana
Kalispell 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
$65,861 median income · 13.7% poverty · #12 income in Montana
Located in
Park County, Montana
Livingston is a city and the county seat of Park County, Montana, United States. Livingston is located in southwestern Montana, on the Yellowstone River, north of Yellowstone National Park. The population was 7,044 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$68,474 median income · 10.0% poverty · #10 income in Montana
Located in
Yellowstone County, Montana
Laurel 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
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Montana’s statewide median.
Montana statewide median: $72,509
Montana statewide median: $466,917
Montana statewide median: 11.5%
Montana statewide median: 3.6%
On the map
Where the money lives in Montana
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the richest places in Montana for 2026
The first thing most people reach for is personal income. After all, rich people have really high salaries. But one statistic doesn’t capture what it means to be one of the “richest places,” so we applied Saturday Night Science to two measures from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey:
- Median household income
- Median home value
Median household income is the most digestible way to understand how rich a place is, and home values are a measure of accumulated wealth. The two combine to define a “Rich City.”
After collecting the data for all 26 places in Montana with more than 3,000 people, we ranked each place from 1 to 26 on both criteria, then averaged the two ranks into a “Rich Score.” The place with the lowest Rich Score, Bozeman, is crowned the richest city in Montana for 2026.
The full plate
All 26 richest cities in Montana, ranked
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Rich Score | Population | Median income | Median home value | Poverty | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bozeman | 2.50 | 56,114 | $85,747 | $724,089 | 13.7% | 3.0% |
| 2 | Whitefish | 3.00 | 8,749 | $73,811 | $864,157 | 9.4% | 2.4% |
| 3 | Columbia Falls | 3.50 | 5,615 | $75,766 | $599,165 | 15.2% | 5.6% |
| 4 | Belgrade | 4.00 | 11,872 | $97,328 | $548,236 | 11.2% | 3.0% |
| 5 | Missoula | 6.50 | 76,514 | $70,392 | $564,622 | 11.8% | 3.8% |
| 6 | Billings | 8.50 | 119,434 | $73,712 | $392,209 | 9.8% | 3.5% |
| 7 | Helena | 9.00 | 33,639 | $71,036 | $474,029 | 8.8% | 2.9% |
| 8 | Kalispell | 9.50 | 28,504 | $63,415 | $552,745 | 10.0% | 2.6% |
| 9 | Livingston | 10.00 | 8,780 | $65,861 | $531,831 | 13.7% | 1.9% |
| 10 | Laurel | 11.50 | 7,215 | $68,474 | $374,157 | 10.0% | 2.4% |
| 11 | Polson | 13.00 | 5,428 | $53,418 | $560,671 | 17.5% | 7.9% |
| 12 | Dillon | 14.00 | 4,085 | $61,134 | $391,900 | 11.5% | 1.2% |
| 13 | Glasgow | 14.00 | 3,190 | $90,310 | $156,841 | 8.0% | 0.5% |
| 14 | Great Falls | 14.50 | 60,329 | $63,373 | $334,708 | 14.5% | 3.7% |
| 15 | Glendive | 15.00 | 4,810 | $72,670 | $192,739 | 13.5% | 4.3% |
| 16 | Miles City | 15.50 | 8,407 | $67,727 | $243,450 | 11.4% | 3.9% |
| 17 | Hamilton | 16.50 | 5,101 | $49,204 | $526,562 | 8.8% | 2.0% |
| 18 | Sidney | 17.00 | 6,171 | $62,538 | $269,780 | 7.7% | 3.4% |
| 19 | Deer Lodge | 18.00 | 3,021 | $60,302 | $285,278 | 7.2% | 3.3% |
| 20 | Anaconda-Deer Lodge County | 18.50 | 9,597 | $57,527 | $287,878 | 16.3% | 3.4% |
| 21 | Hardin | 19.50 | 3,742 | $60,423 | $213,956 | 7.2% | 5.6% |
| 22 | Libby | 20.00 | 3,042 | $34,143 | $346,685 | 24.0% | 3.4% |
| 23 | Lewistown | 20.50 | 6,087 | $48,750 | $296,569 | 20.9% | 7.0% |
| 24 | Havre | 21.50 | 9,258 | $50,329 | $232,554 | 18.2% | 2.9% |
| 25 | Shelby | 21.50 | 3,216 | $58,413 | $179,084 | 13.8% | 3.7% |
| 26 | Cut Bank | 24.00 | 3,028 | $49,432 | $178,057 | 18.9% | 3.5% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 26 cities with more than 3,000 residents.
Bozeman is the richest place in Montana for 2026
When we set out to identify the richest places in Montana, we weren’t sure what we’d find, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in the state. The richest cities in Montana are Bozeman, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls, and when you look at the data they sit at the very top of the income ladder for everyone who lives there.
Breaking into the top ten takes a median household income of at least $63,415. If you’re curious about the other end of the ledger, the poorest places are listed to the right.
