State comparison
Idaho vs Montana: which state is better to live in?
Montana costs a median household about $710 a year less in state and local taxes than Idaho, mostly because it has no sales tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 104 against 96).
Idaho
Moderate tax burden · COL index 96
Wins 11 categories
Montana
Low tax burden · COL index 104
Wins 5 categories
Taxes: Idaho vs Montana
Idaho has a flat 5.8% income tax, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,698 a year. 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. Idaho wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.48% of home value a year in Idaho and 0.58% in Montana (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,040 against $2,610, so Idaho has the lower rate.
Montana has no sales tax; combined state and local sales tax averages 6.02% in Idaho.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $7,085 a year in Idaho, $6,373 in Montana. Montana is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Idaho's cost of living index is 96 and Montana's is 104, where 100 is the national average; Idaho is about 8% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $425K in Idaho and $450K in Montana (Zillow, 2024), a $25K gap in Idaho's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,500 a month in Idaho and $1,450 in Montana.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Idaho and $1,500 in Montana, so Idaho is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 228 incidents per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 398 in Montana (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Idaho is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 75% lower. Property crime is 1,535 per 100,000 in Idaho against 2,298 in Montana, again favoring Idaho.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.7 years in Idaho and 76.5 in Montana (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.2-year edge for Idaho. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Idaho's health system 32nd of 50 and Montana's 30th, so Montana scores better on care.
9.0% of Idaho residents have no health insurance against 9.2% in Montana, which favors Idaho. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho's K-12 schools 30th in the country and Montana's 22nd, 8 places apart in Montana's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Idaho went to Trump by 30 points and Montana went to Trump by 13 points.
Idaho 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 Idaho and protected by state law in Montana, and marijuana is illegal in Idaho and legal for adults in Montana as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Idaho and $10.30 in Montana.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Idaho (wildfire, earthquake) and moderate in Montana (wildfire, blizzard, drought). Annual average air quality index is 48 in Idaho and 28 in Montana (under 50 is good), favoring Montana.
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
11
Idaho
5
Montana
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Idaho or Montana better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Montana on taxes ($6,373 a year for a median household against $7,085); Idaho on everyday costs (index 96 against 104); Idaho on safety (228 violent crimes per 100,000 against 398); Montana on schools (ranked 22nd against 30th).
Which is cheaper, Idaho or Montana?
Idaho is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 96 against 104. The median home is $425K in Idaho and $450K in Montana (2024). On state and local taxes Montana saves a median household about $710 a year.
Does Idaho or Montana have lower taxes?
Montana. A household earning $74,580 pays about $7,085 a year in Idaho ($3,698 income tax, $2,040 property tax on the median home and $1,347 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, Idaho or Montana?
Idaho, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 228 per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 398 in Montana; property crime is 1,535 against 2,298.
Which has better schools, Idaho or Montana?
Montana. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho 30th of 50 for K-12 and Montana 22nd.
Is Idaho or Montana better for retirees?
Idaho is friendlier to retirees on paper. Idaho does not tax Social Security, partly 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 $2,040 a year in Idaho and $2,610 in Montana.