The 10 Best Places to Live in Montana in 2024

If you’re planning on moving to Montana, add these cities to your list.

With natural beauty, diverse history, and lively cities, Montana has it all. Across its three distinct regions, there are rivers, glaciers, grasslands, and more in this expansive state. You can ride a horse, raft down a river, and shop at a bustling mall on the same day, for example. Even if you want to experience “the middle of nowhere,” Montana has you covered. 

Known as Big Sky Country, Montana boasts expansive plains, sprawling forests, towering mountains, and flat buttes that give way to unobstructed views of clear, beautiful skies. Everywhere you go, it seems, there’s more to see. 

Montana’s climate varies widely depending on where you live. In the mountainous west, winters are cold and snowy, and summers are warm and pleasant. As you move east over the Continental Divide into the High Plains, the climate is much drier, although winters are still very cold. Farthest to the east and lower in elevation, you’ll see cold winters and dry, hot summers. 

Lastly, Montana’s population has grown consistently over the past decade, with most newcomers moving to the hip mountain towns of Bozeman and Whitefish. 

But which cities in The Treasure State are right for you? In this Redfin article, we’ve uncovered the best places to live in Montana, ranking them on qualities such as affordability, navigability, and number of amenities. You can find more information about our methodology here or at the bottom of the article.