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Ever wondered where in the country people are happiest? Better yet, what cities in your state have the secret sauce for happiness?
Just like where you work and what you do, where you live can have major implications for your quality of life. We set out to find the cities in Montana where life is sweetest, the wages are high, and people aren’t wasting their lives away in cars,
The results? Happiness comes in small packages.
The result is this list of the best cities for :
- Helena Valley West Central, MT
- Orchard Homes, MT
- Helena, MT
- Belgrade, MT
- Sidney, MT
- Whitefish, MT
- Helena Valley Southeast, MT
- Glendive, MT
- Miles City, MT
- Bozeman, MT
These are the happiest places in Montana. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in Montana?
We turned happiness into a science and scoured the state to find the cities with all the ingredients for happiness:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Percent of households earning above $75,000
- Median home prices
- A short commute to work (Traffic = unhappiness)
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
We examined over 22 cities, to find the cities that have all of the above in spades.
While some may be confused to see marriage rates included in our metrics, studies show that married people are typically happier than unmarried people. However, it is worth noting that marriage doesn’t cause happiness. In fact, people leaving a bad marriage experience spikes of happiness. However, a happy marriage and positive social interactions are important for mood and mental health.
Similarly, if you’re scratching your head to see $75,000 as the cut-off for happiness, blame Purdue University. Their study found that amount meets basic needs and frees people from the pitfalls of deep financial insecurity that cause unhappiness.
All of our data comes from the most recent American Community Survey.
Keep reading for more on why each of these 10 places is brimming with happiness—or hop to the bottom to see where your city landed on the list.
1. Helena Valley West Central
Population: 8,277
Earners Over $75k: 46.6%
Average Commute: 16
Marriage Rate: 36.0%
Helena Valley West Central is the happiest city in all of Montana. What makes Helena Valley West Central residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average Helena Valley West Central resident only drives 16.7 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most Helena Valley West Central residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. Orchard Homes
Population: 5,859
Earners Over $75k: 36.3%
Average Commute: 16
Marriage Rate: 23.0%
In 2nd place we have Orchard Homes. Residents of Orchard Homes are highly educated, with an impressive 41.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in Orchard Homes have plenty of them.
3. Helena
Population: 31,212
Earners Over $75k: 35.9%
Average Commute: 12
Marriage Rate: 19.0%
Helena is the third happiest city in Montana. Why so happy? 19.0% of Helena residents come home to a partner to share their life burdens. Bonus? Short commutes give them more time to spend with all their loved ones or on hobbies they enjoy.
4. Belgrade
Population: 8,345
Earners Over $75k: 36.4%
Average Commute: 18
Marriage Rate: 19.0%
Folks in Belgrade have a lot to smile about. An impressive 36.4% of Belgrade households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Belgrade can afford peace of mind.
5. Sidney
Population: 6,475
Earners Over $75k: 37.8%
Average Commute: 14
Marriage Rate: 24.0%
Sidney is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. Sidney residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this Montana city is only $213,000), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. Whitefish
Population: 7,309
Earners Over $75k: 40.2%
Average Commute: 16
Marriage Rate: 14.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give Whitefish a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 40.2% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call Whitefish home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Helena Valley Southeast
Population: 8,067
Earners Over $75k: 37.0%
Average Commute: 19
Marriage Rate: 26.0%
Helena Valley Southeast is the 7th happiest city. Helena Valley Southeast residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 19.1 minutes of their home. They can use all that extra time saved from a long commute to indulge in hobbies they’re passionate about.
8. Glendive
Population: 5,232
Earners Over $75k: 34.8%
Average Commute: 15
Marriage Rate: 31.0%
Glendive residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Miles City
Population: 8,576
Earners Over $75k: 35.2%
Average Commute: 10
Marriage Rate: 28.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of Montana is Miles City. The average commute in Miles City is only 10.2 minutes. That means they are only 10.2 minutes away from the loving spouse 28.0% of them have.
10. Bozeman
Population: 45,121
Earners Over $75k: 33.8%
Average Commute: 14
Marriage Rate: 10.0%
In 10th place is Bozeman, Montana. What makes Bozeman so great? Affordable housing, reasonable commutes, and healthy incomes. If happiness is contagious, moving here might be worth a try.
And that’s our list of the happiest cities in Montana
There you have it, happiness is a place.
While we can’t guarantee everyone living and working in the top 10 cities is happy, they have a better chance the most.
If you are looking to improve your own happiness, check out how you can help improve your personal factors: housing costs, job satisfaction, income, and education.
If your city didn’t make the top 10, check out the list below to see whether it missed the cut by a hair or if folks there are struggling to escape despair.
Detailed List Of The Happiest Cities In
| Rank | City | High Earners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helena Valley West Central | 46.6% |
| 2 | Orchard Homes | 36.3% |
| 3 | Helena | 35.9% |
| 4 | Belgrade | 36.4% |
| 5 | Sidney | 37.8% |
| 6 | Whitefish | 40.2% |
| 7 | Helena Valley Southeast | 37.0% |
| 8 | Glendive | 34.8% |
| 9 | Miles City | 35.2% |
| 10 | Bozeman | 33.8% |
| 11 | Havre | 25.9% |
| 12 | Lockwood | 38.2% |
| 13 | Missoula | 29.4% |
| 14 | Billings | 34.7% |
| 15 | Kalispell | 26.7% |
| 16 | Great Falls | 27.7% |
| 17 | Laurel | 35.7% |
| 18 | Livingston | 29.0% |
| 19 | Columbia Falls | 26.7% |
| 20 | Lewistown | 21.3% |
| 21 | Anaconda-Deer Lodge County | 22.7% |
| 22 | Evergreen | 21.1% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
