Missoula
Montana

What stands out

If you had to describe Missoula County in numbers, start here: high-school completion is in the top 2% of American counties (96%), winter sunshine is in the bottom 2% of American counties (-2.3 on the USDA scale), and the median home price is in the top 4% of American counties ($580K). Within Montana it ranks 9th of 56 counties for high-school completion.

Where you are

You live in Missoula County, Montana. 118,541 people live here with you. The population grew 0.7% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +582).

Montana has no sales tax and a two-bracket income tax with a top rate of 5.65% for 2026. It taxes Social Security above income thresholds. Home prices in Bozeman, Missoula and the Flathead Valley roughly doubled between 2019 and 2023 as remote workers arrived, and the state passed a package of zoning reforms in 2023 to add housing supply. Wildfire smoke is now a regular late-summer feature.

Money

The typical household here brings in $66,840 a year, higher than 67% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $59,583. Unemployment runs 2.6%, lower than 78% of American counties. 10% of workers work from home.

Montana takes 5.0% of that median income in state income tax, about $3,325 a year.

Home

The median home costs $580K, pricier than 96% of American counties, about 4.3 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $1,088 a month. Property tax is 0.94% of home value, roughly $3,576 a year on that median home, higher than 56% of American counties. 59% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.5 per 1,000 residents, lower than 72% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 12 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 78.9 years, longer than 83% of American counties. There are 527 active physicians in the county, about 44.5 per 10,000 people. Medicare rates the local hospitals 4.0 of 5 stars. 9.2% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.24 where 3.0 is national grade level, higher than 74% of American counties. 96% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Democratic by 34 points. 75% of eligible voters turned out. Under Montana law you can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, abortion is protected by state law, and marijuana is legal for adults.

Weather and risk

The year averages 44°F, highs near 55 and lows near 32, colder than 94% of American counties. About 32 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 78 out of 100, riskier than 78% of American counties; the county has had 21 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 204 Mbps down, faster than 52% of American counties. There are 6 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.8 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 7 breweries, 6 museums.