Bozeman Ranks Among America’s Best Small Cities

For over a while, we've been keeping an eye on the number of people moving to Montana.

Montana's Popularity Over Time

We've seen the ebbs and flows of people moving to our state. There have been times when Montana was one of the most popular states in the country for people looking to relocate.

Other times, states like North Carolina and South Carolina have been getting more attention.

Montana, however, is still on the radar for people looking to make a move.

Of course, one of the big questions is: Once you decide to move to Montana, where are you going to live?

WalletHub’s Ranking of Best Small Cities

According to a new WalletHub ranking, one Montana city stands out above the rest.

WalletHub recently released its list of the Best Small Cities in America for 2026.

For this study, WalletHub looked at more than 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000. The cities were evaluated using 45 different indicators of livability, including affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and safety.

That means cities like Billings don't qualify because of the population requirement.

Bozeman: Montana's Top City for Movers

Among Montana's qualifying cities, Bozeman comes out on top, followed by Missoula, Helena, and Great Falls.

Bozeman landed in the 94th percentile nationally, putting it among the higher-ranked small cities in the country.

Interestingly, Bozeman's strongest category was economic health.

Affordability? That's a different story.

Affordability Challenges in Bozeman

Bozeman ranked much lower when it came to affordability, coming in at 1,057 out of 1,300. This probably won't surprise anyone who has watched housing prices and the cost of living climb in the Bozeman area.

Even with that affordability challenge, Bozeman's performance in other categories helped push it into the 94th percentile overall.

Well, according to WalletHub's numbers, if you're planning to move to Montana and you're looking for a small city, Bozeman certainly has a lot going for it.

Missoula, Helena, and Great Falls also made WalletHub's list, giving Montana several communities that rank well nationally.

Finding Your Fit in Montana

Of course, these rankings don't necessarily tell you whether a city is the right fit for you. Cost of living, housing, jobs, schools, and what you actually want out of Montana life can make a huge difference.

The Bozeman Buzz: National Recognition

Still, it's pretty interesting to see Bozeman continuing to get national attention.

Bozeman has become so nationally recognizable that the area has even been connected to reports about a possible Real Housewives of Montana reality series. The reports have focused on Gallatin County and the Bozeman/Big Sky area, although Bravo has not officially announced such a show.

So, if you're one of those people still thinking about making the move to Montana, WalletHub's answer is pretty clear:

Bozeman is the state's highest-ranked small city in its latest study.

Good luck to everyone moving to Montana.

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Just remember, you're going to have to find a place to live first.

In Bozeman, that's probably going to be the hard part.