Two Montana Cities Make The List For Top 100 Places To Live

When choosing a place to put down roots, you probably look for a few things. Affordability, opportunity, schools, crime, and social activities are all at the top of most folk's lists.

For those looking to settle down here in Montana, it seems two cities are among the best in the nation when it comes to places to live, and for many Montanans, at least one of them might come as a bit of a surprise.

The folks over at Livability have released its Top 100 Best Places To Live In The United States for 2024 and The Treasure State has made the list, however as mentioned, only two Montana towns represent Big Sky Country.

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If you were to guess which towns are among the Top 100, what would you say? Bozeman? Kalispell? Whitefish? All great guesses, however, none of the places made the list.

Which two Montana towns are ranked among the Top 100 Best Places To Live for 2024?

Before we reveal which Montana towns are among the best in the nation, let's take a look at the most "Montana" towns in Montana.

The Most "Montana" Towns In Montana

If you're looking for the best that Montana has to offer, you might want to start by asking a local and that is exactly what we did. We wanted to know which Montana towns were the most "Montana" and who better to ask than the folks who were born and raised in The Treasure State?

Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf

According to the rankings Montana's two most populated cities represent the state. The city of Billings and Missoula were both ranked among the best places to live in the United States for 2024.

Credit: Canva

Now, I'm in no way trying to question the validity of the results nor do I want to say anything negative about either. Both are fine cities with fine people, however, is Billings or Missoula the best places to live in Montana? Sure, they have lots of retail and entertainment options, which are always a plus. Not to mention, housing prices are much more affordable than in places like Bozeman, so that is a plus.

Billings does have a high crime rate, and while Missoula offers lots of access to outdoor activities, they have their fair share of issues as well.

On paper, the two towns couldn't be any more different. Yes, they're both in Montana, but Billings is considered more of a blue-collar, conservative town while Missoula is more progressive and a University town. I suppose it all comes down to preference and what folks are comfortable with, right?

Either way, congratulations to both for making the Top 100 best places to live in the United States and way to represent Montana!

The 7 Most Dangerous Towns In Montana

Based on information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, these are the most dangerous towns in Montana according to population and the number of violent and property crimes.

Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf

Montana's 7 Poorest Cities Ranked

For many Montanans, it's a struggle to make ends meet. With the high cost of housing, several locals have found themselves between a rock and a hard place when it comes to just getting by. Throw in the fact that prices are on the rise in almost every aspect of our lives and it's not too hard to see why so many Montanans are frustrated and are looking to leave The Treasure State.. Let's take a look at the state's 7 poorest cities according to Stacker.

Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf