Four Montana Towns Are The Best Small Towns In America

WalletHub’s 2025 Ranking Of Montana Towns

When discussing the population sizes of towns in Montana, I would bet that most people outside the state view every town here as a small town.

When your biggest town, Billings, is just over 100K, there are plenty of "small towns" to choose from, but only 4 made the 2025 list for "Best Small Cities to Live in America."

Montana Ranks High — But It Comes With Trade-Offs

WalletHub once again has come out with a ranking that sees 4 Montana towns landing in the top 100; this is both good and bad for those living under the Big Sky.

The positive aspect is that who wouldn't want to live in a place deemed a good place to live?

However, some people see this as a negative thing, because Montana is already struggling with affordable housing, and if more outsiders come here with pockets full of money, it will price out current residents.

The Best Places To Live In The Treasure State

Regardless of where you fit in, let's take a look at what cities WalletHub considers the best places to live in the Treasure State.

With this list, there aren't rankings, but percentiles; being in the 99th percentile means you're in the top 1% of cities in America.

Bozeman, MT finds itself in the 98 percentile with a total score of 68.21.

• Affordability Rank - 1112
• Economic Health Rank - 6
• Education & Health Rank - 103
• Quality of Life Rank - 41
• Safety Rank - 439

Missoula, MT is in the 66th percentile with a total score of 60.43.

• Affordability Rank - 966
• Economic Health Rank - 207
• Education & Health Rank - 278
• Quality of Life Rank - 59
• Safety Rank - 1201

Helena, MT also ranked in the 66th percentile with a total score of 60.37.

• Affordability Rank - 664
• Economic Health Rank - 764
• Education & Health Rank - 238
• Quality of Life Rank - 127
• Safety Rank - 1040

The last city to make the list is Great Falls, MT which ranked in the 56th percentile with a total score of 58.91.

• Affordability Rank - 401
• Economic Health Rank - 240
• Education & Health Rank - 779
• Quality of Life Rank - 312
• Safety Rank - 963

Source: WalletHub