Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Missoula, MT

    Is Missoula a good place to live?

    Watch Missoula

    Missoula ranks #6 of 7 Montana cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (38/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 1.3% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $427,400
    +12.3% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,120
    per month
    Household income
    $65,329
    median
    Unemployment
    4.7%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Missoula

    The median home value in Missoula is $427,400 and median rent is $1,120 a month, against a median household income of $65,329. Homes cost about 6.5× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Missoula crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Montana the 2025 rate was 422 violent and 1,468 property crimes per 100,000 people — #22 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Missoula, MT

    Missoula has about 75,600 residents, 4.7% unemployment and 32% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Missoula with

    Missoula vs BillingsMissoula vs Great FallsMissoula vs BozemanMissoula vs Butte-Silver BowMissoula vs HelenaMissoula vs Kalispell

    More: Where to move in Montana · Best counties in Montana

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report