Is Montana More Affordable Than We Think?

We talk a lot about the cost of living here in Montana.

It seems that whether it's expensive or un-expensive depends on which source you're looking at. Now, I live in Bozeman, and I realize that Bozeman is much more expensive than most of Montana, but still, we've been told that living in Big Sky Country isn't affordable, right?

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Well, according to a reliable source, it seems that maybe we've been wrong all along.

For many, our job determines where we live. For some folks, they can pick and choose depending on their career, for others, we're kind of stuck. I mean, the ultimate goal is to live in a place where you get paid well and the cost of living isn't highway robbery, for the last few years, we've been told that isn't Montana, but this new data may put a doubt in your head.

Is Montana an affordable place to live?

According to U.S. News and World Report, when looking for the most affordable places to live in the country, Montana might be a good deal after all. The report says that Montana ranks 15th on the list for most affordable.

Yep, 15th.

Now, I'm not one to call out others, but this seems a bit odd. I mean not only is Montana ranked 15th for most affordable, but it's ranked 11th in cost of living, and 18th in housing affordability. I'm not going to lie, this seems confusing to me. Are we talking like eastern Montana? Because I can't imagine that anything west of Billings would be considered "affordable".

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What do you think? Did U.S. News and World Report get it right? Is Montana an affordable place to call home? Please share your thoughts with us by sending us a message on our app.