Montana
Low tax burden · COL index 104
Wins 8 categories
New Jersey
Very High tax burden · COL index 121
Wins 5 categories
New Jersey's top income tax rate is 10.75% vs Montana's 5.9%. Cost of living in New Jersey (index 121) runs 16% higher than Montana (index 104). Property taxes are meaningfully different: New Jersey averages 2.13% annually vs Montana's 0.58%. Politically, Montana voted Republican in 2024 (R+13.0) while New Jersey went Democratic (D+6.0).
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Category wins
8
Montana
5
New Jersey
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Is Montana the best state to live in?
It's not a perfect place to live, but it's certainly not a typical “red state”. It's definitely a “mind your own business, be a good neighbor, and be a good person” state. Montana has incredible beef; it has incredible breweries and distilleries and small restaurants with artist chefs.