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Best Cities for Families in Montana

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

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.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in Montana

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 86
Bozeman, MT
55,042 residents
Schools 6.8
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $614,900
#2
Score 84.7
Fort Benton, MT
1,470 residents
Schools 6.4
Safety 135/100K
Home Affordability $201,900
#3
Score 82.9
King Arthur Park, MT
2,343 residents
Schools 6.8
Safety 183/100K
Home Affordability $333,500
#4
Score 81.7
Dillon, MT
4,020 residents
Schools 6.5
Safety 187/100K
Home Affordability $237,500
#5
Score 81.5
Four Corners, MT
5,562 residents
Schools 6.8
Safety 247/100K
Home Affordability $620,200
#6
Score 80.9
Boulder, MT
1,326 residents
Schools 6.5
Safety 156/100K
Home Affordability $194,800
#7
Score 80.6
Malta, MT
1,902 residents
Schools 5.6
Safety 147/100K
Home Affordability $139,000
#8
Score 80.3
Choteau, MT
1,719 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 192/100K
Home Affordability $194,900
#9
Score 79.9
Helena Valley Northeast, MT
4,398 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 97/100K
Home Affordability $462,400
#10
Score 79.3
Montana City, MT
2,899 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 97/100K
Home Affordability $519,100
#11
Score 79.1
Livingston, MT
8,635 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 56/100K
Home Affordability $348,700
#12
Score 79
Sun Prairie, MT
1,514 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 272/100K
Home Affordability $156,800

Full Ranking, Montana

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

1 Bozeman MT 86
2 Fort Benton MT 84.7
3 King Arthur Park MT 82.9
4 Dillon MT 81.7
5 Four Corners MT 81.5
6 Boulder MT 80.9
7 Malta MT 80.6
8 Choteau MT 80.3
9 Helena Valley Northeast MT 79.9
10 Montana City MT 79.3
11 Livingston MT 79.1
12 Sun Prairie MT 79
13 Big Timber MT 79
14 Billings MT 78.8
15 Three Forks MT 78.8
16 Bonner-West Riverside MT 78.8
17 Manhattan MT 78.1
18 Red Lodge MT 77.9
19 Plentywood MT 77.7
20 Big Sky MT 77.6
21 Thompson Falls MT 77.6
22 Evergreen MT 77.5
23 Churchill MT 77.4
24 Helena MT 77.4
25 Shelby MT 77.3
26 Columbia Falls MT 77.1
27 Helena Flats MT 76.9
28 Seeley Lake MT 76.8
29 Missoula MT 76.7
30 Helena West Side MT 76.5
31 Helena Valley Southeast MT 76.5
32 Bigfork MT 76.4
33 Hamilton MT 76.1
34 Whitefish MT 75.9
35 Miles City MT 75.7
36 Glendive MT 75.6
37 Baker MT 75.5
38 East Missoula MT 75.5
39 Belgrade MT 75.4
40 Kalispell MT 75.4
41 Columbus MT 75.4
42 Orchard Homes MT 75.4
43 Somers MT 75.3
44 Lolo MT 75.2
45 Helena Valley West Central MT 75.2
46 Havre MT 75.1
47 Wye MT 75.1
48 Helena Valley Northwest MT 75.1
49 West Glendive MT 74.8
50 Conrad MT 74.6

Bozeman, MT tops the list with a composite score of 86 out of 100, followed by Fort Benton and King Arthur Park. MT dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, 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 Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →