State comparison
Florida vs Montana: which state is better to live in?
Florida costs a median household about $1,600 a year less in state and local taxes than Montana, mostly because it has no income tax.
Florida
Low tax burden · COL index 103
Wins 8 categories
Montana
Low tax burden · COL index 104
Wins 7 categories
Taxes: Florida vs Montana
Florida has no state income tax. Montana has a graduated income tax topping out at 5.9%, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,763 a year. Florida wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.77% of home value a year in Florida and 0.58% in Montana (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,196 against $2,610, so Montana has the lower rate.
Montana has no sales tax; combined state and local sales tax averages 7.02% in Florida.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $4,766 a year in Florida, $6,373 in Montana. Florida is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Florida's cost of living index is 103 and Montana's is 104, where 100 is the national average; Florida is about 1% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $415K in Florida and $450K in Montana (Zillow, 2024), a $35K gap in Florida's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,900 a month in Florida and $1,450 in Montana.
Home insurance averages $3,500 a year in Florida and $1,500 in Montana, so Montana is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 387 incidents per 100,000 residents in Florida and 398 in Montana (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Florida is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 3% lower. Property crime is 1,882 per 100,000 in Florida against 2,298 in Montana, again favoring Florida.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.3 years in Florida and 76.5 in Montana (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.8-year edge for Florida. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Florida's health system 40th of 50 and Montana's 30th, so Montana scores better on care.
13.2% of Florida residents have no health insurance against 9.2% in Montana, which favors Montana. Montana expanded Medicaid and Florida did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Florida's K-12 schools 19th in the country and Montana's 22nd, 3 places apart in Florida's favor. Florida runs a school-choice voucher program; Montana does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Florida went to Trump by 13 points and Montana went to Trump by 13 points.
Florida has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Montana has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Florida and protected by state law in Montana, and marijuana is medical only in Florida and legal for adults in Montana as of 2026. The minimum wage is $13.00 an hour in Florida and $10.30 in Montana.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Florida (hurricane, flood, tornado) and moderate in Montana (wildfire, blizzard, drought), so Montana is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 28 in Florida and 28 in Montana (under 50 is good).
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
8
Florida
7
Montana
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Florida or Montana better to live in?
Florida wins more of the measures that decide a move. Florida on taxes ($4,766 a year for a median household against $6,373); Florida on everyday costs (index 103 against 104); Florida on safety (387 violent crimes per 100,000 against 398); Florida on schools (ranked 19th against 22nd).
Which is cheaper, Florida or Montana?
Florida is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 103 against 104. The median home is $415K in Florida and $450K in Montana (2024). On state and local taxes Florida saves a median household about $1,600 a year.
Does Florida or Montana have lower taxes?
Florida. A household earning $74,580 pays about $4,766 a year in Florida ($0 income tax, $3,196 property tax on the median home and $1,571 in sales tax) and $6,373 in Montana ($3,763 income tax, $2,610 property tax on the median home and $0 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Florida or Montana?
Florida, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 387 per 100,000 residents in Florida and 398 in Montana; property crime is 1,882 against 2,298.
Which has better schools, Florida or Montana?
Florida. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Florida 19th of 50 for K-12 and Montana 22nd. Florida also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Florida or Montana better for retirees?
Florida is friendlier to retirees on paper. Florida does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Montana taxes Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,196 a year in Florida and $2,610 in Montana.