← All States

Kansas

Moderate tax burden · COL index 86

Wins 7 categories

VS

Montana

Low tax burden · COL index 104

Wins 6 categories

Cost of living in Montana (index 104) runs 21% higher than Kansas (index 86). Property taxes are meaningfully different: Kansas averages 1.24% annually vs Montana's 0.58%. The median home in Montana costs $450K vs $220K in Kansas.

Kansas
Montana

Taxes

5.7%
Income Tax (top rate)
5.9%
1.24%/yr
Property Tax Rate
0.58%/yr
8.68%
Sales Tax (avg)
None
No
Social Security Tax
No
Yes
Estate Tax
Yes
As income
Capital Gains Tax
4.1%

Housing & Cost of Living

86
COL Index (100=avg)
104
$220K
Median Home Price
$450K
$1,050/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$1,450/mo
$5K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$2K/yr

Crime & Safety

410
Violent Crime / 100K
398
2,225
Property Crime / 100K
2,298

Healthcare

#29 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#30 of 50
77.2 yrs
Life Expectancy
76.5 yrs
9.6%
Uninsured Rate
9.2%
No
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

#26 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#22 of 50
No
School Choice / Vouchers
No

Childcare

$1,050/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$1,150/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$130/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$115/mo
$440/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$510/mo
#3 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#16 of 50

Social Policy

F
Gun Laws Grade
F
R+20.0
2024 Presidential Margin
R+13.0

Category wins

7

Kansas

6

Montana

Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.

Score For My Profile →

People Also Ask

Why are people moving from Montana?

Which part of Kansas is the best to live in?

The three best cities to live in Kansas are Olathe, Overland Park and Shawnee, all in Johnson County, says U.S. News & World Report.

What are the pros and cons of living in Montana?

Where are most people moving to Montana from?

Of the 35,900 people moving to Montana from another state between 2023 and 2024, 32.1% came from three states: California (+4,900 residents), Washington state (+3,600), and Colorado (+3,000).

Full Kansas Profile →Full Montana Profile →

Your Priorities

Adjust and every page updates live

Quick Profiles

Dial in your priorities

Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable