State comparison
Montana vs Utah: which state is better to live in?
Montana costs a median household about $760 a year less in state and local taxes than Utah, mostly because it has no sales tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 104 against 101).
Montana
Low tax burden · COL index 104
Wins 7 categories
Utah
Moderate tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 7 categories
Taxes: Montana vs Utah
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. Utah has a flat 4.65% income tax, which works out to 4.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,319 a year. Utah wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.58% of home value a year in Montana and 0.44% in Utah (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,610 against $2,200, so Utah has the lower rate.
Montana has no sales tax; combined state and local sales tax averages 7.19% in Utah.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $6,373 a year in Montana, $7,128 in Utah. Montana is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Montana's cost of living index is 104 and Utah's is 101, where 100 is the national average; Utah is about 3% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $450K in Montana and $500K in Utah (Zillow, 2024), a $50K gap in Montana's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,450 a month in Montana and $1,650 in Utah.
Home insurance averages $1,500 a year in Montana and $900 in Utah, so Utah is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 398 incidents per 100,000 residents in Montana and 237 in Utah (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Utah is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 68% lower. Property crime is 2,298 per 100,000 in Montana against 2,280 in Utah, again favoring Utah.
Health
Life expectancy is 76.5 years in Montana and 79.2 in Utah (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.7-year edge for Utah. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Montana's health system 30th of 50 and Utah's 31st, so Montana scores better on care.
9.2% of Montana residents have no health insurance against 9.8% in Utah, 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 Utah's 37th, 15 places apart in Montana's favor. Utah 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 Utah went to Trump by 13 points.
Montana has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Utah has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is protected by state law in Montana and banned with narrow exceptions in Utah, and marijuana is legal for adults in Montana and medical only in Utah as of 2026. The minimum wage is $10.30 an hour in Montana and $7.25 in Utah.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Montana (wildfire, blizzard, drought) and moderate in Utah (drought, wildfire, earthquake). Annual average air quality index is 28 in Montana and 55 in Utah (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
7
Montana
7
Utah
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Montana or Utah better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Montana on taxes ($6,373 a year for a median household against $7,128); Utah on everyday costs (index 101 against 104); Utah on safety (237 violent crimes per 100,000 against 398); Montana on schools (ranked 22nd against 37th).
Which is cheaper, Montana or Utah?
Utah is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 101 against 104. The median home is $450K in Montana and $500K in Utah (2024). On state and local taxes Montana saves a median household about $760 a year.
Does Montana or Utah have lower taxes?
Montana. 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 $7,128 in Utah ($3,319 income tax, $2,200 property tax on the median home and $1,609 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Montana or Utah?
Utah, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 398 per 100,000 residents in Montana and 237 in Utah; property crime is 2,298 against 2,280.
Which has better schools, Montana or Utah?
Montana. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Montana 22nd of 50 for K-12 and Utah 37th. Utah also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Montana or Utah better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Montana taxes Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Utah taxes Social Security, partly 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 Utah.