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Montana

Low tax burden · COL index 104

Wins 9 categories

VS

New Jersey

High tax burden · COL index 121

Wins 7 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).

Montana
New Jersey

Taxes

5.9%
Income Tax (top rate)
10.75%
0.58%/yr
Property Tax Rate
2.13%/yr
None
Sales Tax (avg)
6.6%
No
Social Security Tax
Yes
Yes
Estate Tax
Yes
4.1%
Capital Gains Tax
As income

Housing & Cost of Living

104
COL Index (100=avg)
121
$450K
Median Home Price
$500K
$1,450/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$2,200/mo
$2K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$1K/yr

Crime & Safety

398
Violent Crime / 100K
213
2,298
Property Crime / 100K
1,368

Healthcare

#30 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#19 of 50
76.5 yrs
Life Expectancy
79 yrs
9.2%
Uninsured Rate
6.8%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

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

Childcare

$1,150/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$1,800/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$115/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$155/mo
$510/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$640/mo
#16 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#44 of 50

Social Policy

F
Gun Laws Grade
A
R+13.0
2024 Presidential Margin
D+6.0

Category wins

9

Montana

7

New Jersey

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Your Priorities

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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