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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 65.3
Colstrip, MT
2,156 residents
Home Prices $193,700
Rent $632
Cost Index 95
#2
Score 64.9
North Browning, MT
2,894 residents
Home Prices $131,300
Rent $505
Cost Index 95
#3
Score 64.6
Boulder, MT
1,326 residents
Home Prices $194,800
Rent $692
Cost Index 95
#4
Score 64.3
Harlowton, MT
1,054 residents
Home Prices $178,800
Rent $766
Cost Index 95
#5
Score 63.7
Thompson Falls, MT
1,568 residents
Home Prices $182,200
Rent $575
Cost Index 95
#6
Score 63.6
Glendive, MT
4,831 residents
Home Prices $176,900
Rent $832
Cost Index 95
#7
Score 62.8
Crow Agency, MT
2,110 residents
Home Prices $88,500
Rent $470
Cost Index 95
#8
Score 62
Fort Belknap Agency, MT
1,434 residents
Home Prices $73,000
Rent $344
Cost Index 95
#9
Score 61.8
Baker, MT
1,535 residents
Home Prices $198,800
Rent $772
Cost Index 95
#10
Score 61.4
Lame Deer, MT
1,939 residents
Home Prices $117,300
Rent $553
Cost Index 95
#11
Score 61.3
Chinook, MT
1,460 residents
Home Prices $205,900
Rent $811
Cost Index 95
#12
Score 61.2
Hardin, MT
3,766 residents
Home Prices $142,800
Rent $726
Cost Index 95

Full Ranking, Montana

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

1 Colstrip MT 65.3
2 North Browning MT 64.9
3 Boulder MT 64.6
4 Harlowton MT 64.3
5 Thompson Falls MT 63.7
6 Glendive MT 63.6
7 Crow Agency MT 62.8
8 Fort Belknap Agency MT 62
9 Baker MT 61.8
10 Lame Deer MT 61.4
11 Chinook MT 61.3
12 Hardin MT 61.2
13 Roundup MT 60.8
14 Deer Lodge MT 60.6
15 Malta MT 60.1
16 Shelby MT 59.9
17 Conrad MT 59.9
18 St. Ignatius MT 59.5
19 Libby MT 59.4
20 Whitehall MT 59.3
21 Anaconda-Deer Lodge County MT 58.9
22 Lewistown MT 58.9
23 Cut Bank MT 58.3
24 Glasgow MT 58.3
25 Choteau MT 58.2
26 Fort Benton MT 58.2
27 White Sulphur Springs MT 58.1
28 Wolf Point MT 58.1
29 Plentywood MT 57.9
30 Pablo MT 57.9
31 Miles City MT 57.7
32 West Glendive MT 57.7
33 Big Timber MT 57.5
34 Havre MT 57.4
35 Helena West Side MT 57.3
36 Bonner-West Riverside MT 57.3
37 Forsyth MT 57.2
38 Laurel MT 57
39 Sidney MT 56.3
40 Butte-Silver Bow MT 55.8
41 Great Falls MT 55.7
42 Townsend MT 55.4
43 Dillon MT 55.3
44 Ronan MT 55
45 Lockwood MT 54.4
46 Hamilton MT 53.3
47 Columbus MT 53.2
48 West Yellowstone MT 52.6
49 Seeley Lake MT 52.5
50 Evergreen MT 51.9

Colstrip, MT tops the list with a composite score of 65.3 out of 100, followed by North Browning 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

Lowest Rent → Lowest Income → Safest Cities →