State comparison
Montana vs Nevada: which state is better to live in?
Nevada costs a median household about $2,300 a year less in state and local taxes than Montana, mostly because it has no income tax.
Montana
Low tax burden · COL index 104
Wins 9 categories
Nevada
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Montana vs Nevada
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. Nevada has no state income tax. Nevada wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.58% of home value a year in Montana and 0.53% in Nevada (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,610 against $2,200, so Nevada has the lower rate.
Montana has no sales tax; combined state and local sales tax averages 8.23% in Nevada.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $6,373 a year in Montana, $4,041 in Nevada. Nevada is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Montana's cost of living index is 104 and Nevada's is 101, where 100 is the national average; Nevada is about 3% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $450K in Montana and $415K in Nevada (Zillow, 2024), a $35K gap in Nevada's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,450 a month in Montana and $1,550 in Nevada.
Home insurance averages $1,500 a year in Montana and $800 in Nevada, so Nevada is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 398 incidents per 100,000 residents in Montana and 595 in Nevada (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Montana is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 49% lower. Property crime is 2,298 per 100,000 in Montana against 2,634 in Nevada, again favoring Montana.
Health
Life expectancy is 76.5 years in Montana and 75.5 in Nevada (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.0-year edge for Montana. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Montana's health system 30th of 50 and Nevada's 35th, so Montana scores better on care.
9.2% of Montana residents have no health insurance against 10.6% in Nevada, which favors Montana. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Montana's K-12 schools 22nd in the country and Nevada's 48th, 26 places apart in Montana's favor. Nevada runs a school-choice voucher program; Montana does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Montana went to Trump by 13 points and Nevada went to Trump by 3 points.
Montana has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Nevada has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of C+, so Nevada regulates guns more tightly and Montana is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $10.30 an hour in Montana and $12.00 in Nevada.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Montana (wildfire, blizzard, drought) and moderate in Nevada (drought, wildfire, extreme-heat). Annual average air quality index is 28 in Montana and 40 in Nevada (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
9
Montana
6
Nevada
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Montana or Nevada better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Nevada on taxes ($4,041 a year for a median household against $6,373); Nevada on everyday costs (index 101 against 104); Montana on safety (398 violent crimes per 100,000 against 595); Montana on schools (ranked 22nd against 48th).
Which is cheaper, Montana or Nevada?
Nevada is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 101 against 104. The median home is $450K in Montana and $415K in Nevada (2024). On state and local taxes Nevada saves a median household about $2,300 a year.
Does Montana or Nevada have lower taxes?
Nevada. A household earning $74,580 pays about $6,373 a year in Montana ($3,763 income tax, $2,610 property tax on the median home and $0 in sales tax) and $4,041 in Nevada ($0 income tax, $2,200 property tax on the median home and $1,841 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Montana or Nevada?
Montana, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 398 per 100,000 residents in Montana and 595 in Nevada; property crime is 2,298 against 2,634.
Which has better schools, Montana or Nevada?
Montana. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Montana 22nd of 50 for K-12 and Nevada 48th. Nevada also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Montana or Nevada better for retirees?
Nevada is friendlier to retirees on paper. Montana taxes Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Nevada does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,610 a year in Montana and $2,200 in Nevada.