Most Affordable Cities in Montana

The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Montana

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Home Prices · 30% Rent · 20% Cost Index · 25% Rent Burden · 15% Jobs · 10%

Top 12 Affordability Cities in Montana

Ranked by composite score across 5 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 65.2
Colstrip, MT
2,156 residents
Home Prices $193,700
Rent $632
Cost Index 95
#2
Score 64.3
Harlowton, MT
1,054 residents
Home Prices $178,800
Rent $766
Cost Index 95
#3
Score 64.2
Boulder, MT
1,326 residents
Home Prices $194,800
Rent $692
Cost Index 95
#4
Score 63.7
Thompson Falls, MT
1,568 residents
Home Prices $182,200
Rent $575
Cost Index 95
#5
Score 63.6
North Browning, MT
2,894 residents
Home Prices $131,300
Rent $505
Cost Index 95
#6
Score 63.1
Glendive, MT
4,831 residents
Home Prices $176,900
Rent $832
Cost Index 95
#7
Score 61.8
Baker, MT
1,535 residents
Home Prices $198,800
Rent $772
Cost Index 95
#8
Score 61.2
Chinook, MT
1,460 residents
Home Prices $205,900
Rent $811
Cost Index 95
#9
Score 60.9
Hardin, MT
3,766 residents
Home Prices $142,800
Rent $726
Cost Index 95
#10
Score 60.5
Roundup, MT
1,964 residents
Home Prices $118,300
Rent $886
Cost Index 95
#11
Score 60.3
Deer Lodge, MT
3,035 residents
Home Prices $196,400
Rent $781
Cost Index 95
#12
Score 60.1
Malta, MT
1,902 residents
Home Prices $139,000
Rent $693
Cost Index 95

Full Ranking, Montana

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Colstrip MT 65.2
2 Harlowton MT 64.3
3 Boulder MT 64.2
4 Thompson Falls MT 63.7
5 North Browning MT 63.6
6 Glendive MT 63.1
7 Baker MT 61.8
8 Chinook MT 61.2
9 Hardin MT 60.9
10 Roundup MT 60.5
11 Deer Lodge MT 60.3
12 Malta MT 60.1
13 Shelby MT 59.7
14 Conrad MT 59.5
15 Libby MT 59.2
16 St. Ignatius MT 58.7
17 Whitehall MT 58.6
18 Anaconda-Deer Lodge County MT 58.5
19 Lewistown MT 58.4
20 Glasgow MT 58.3
21 Fort Benton MT 58.2
22 White Sulphur Springs MT 58.1
23 Choteau MT 58.1
24 Cut Bank MT 58.1
25 Miles City MT 57.7
26 West Glendive MT 57.7
27 Plentywood MT 57.6
28 Lame Deer MT 57.6
29 Havre MT 57.3
30 Pablo MT 57.3
31 Helena West Side MT 57.3
32 Bonner-West Riverside MT 57.2
33 Big Timber MT 57.2
34 Forsyth MT 57.1
35 Laurel MT 57
36 Wolf Point MT 56.8
37 Sidney MT 56.3
38 Great Falls MT 55.6
39 Butte-Silver Bow MT 55.5
40 Dillon MT 55
41 Townsend MT 54.9
42 Lockwood MT 54.3
43 Ronan MT 54.2
44 Hamilton MT 53.1
45 Columbus MT 52.9
46 West Yellowstone MT 52.6
47 Seeley Lake MT 52.5
48 Evergreen MT 51.8
49 Red Lodge MT 50.7
50 Helena Valley Northeast MT 50.6

Colstrip, MT tops the list with a composite score of 65.2 out of 100, followed by Harlowton and Boulder. MT dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for affordability.

Rankings combine 5 independent metrics: Home Prices, Rent, Cost Index, Rent Burden, Jobs. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to affordability, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Families
Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

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