The Cities Where Missoulians Are Moving, and #1 Is a Shocker

What of the most common things Missoulians talk about after the weather is the price and unavailability of housing. The changes in our community over the past several years have been significant, and with rent prices increasing, sometimes as many as three times in a span of two years, many Missoulians have had to make the heartwrenching decision to move somewhere more affordable.

But not all moves are because housing is too expensive. We looked at data from the U.S. Census bureau compiled by Stacker to see where Missoulians are moving most often and quite a few places are more expensive than Missoula. However, the data compiled by Stacker comes from 2015-2019.

We referenced a more recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau and found data from 2016-2020. If you'd like to view the full report, you can do so here. Interestingly, many of the places where Missoulians are moving remained the same, including the number one place, which is arguably pretty shocking.

We also consulted NeighborhoodScout to gather the demographics of each city. Now, here's a list of the top 10 metro areas where Missoulians are moving to most:

#10 Los Angeles, Calfornia

Population: 3,849,297

Median Household Income: $69,778

Individuals Below Poverty Level: 16.6%

Los Angeles is also incredibly diverse and home to many artists.

#9 San Jose, California

Population: 983,489

Median Household Income: $125,075

Individuals Below Poverty Level: 7.7%

Smaller population, higher median household income, and a lower percentage of individuals below the poverty line, San Jose has the edge on Los Angeles, as far as demographics are concerned. The downside, though, is the expensive housing.

#8 Reno, Nevada

Population: 268,851

Median Household Income: $67,557

Individuals Below Poverty Level: 12.6%

Like San Jose, Reno real estate is considerably expensive. Reno also has a significant number of people who work from home, at 8.29%.

#7 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Population: 1,576,251

Median Household Income: $52,649

Individuals Below Poverty Level: 22.8%

With a whole host of colleges and universities in Philadelphia, any Missoulian who loves being in a college town might find themselves feeling right at home in Philly.

#6 Phoenix, Arizona

Population: 1,624,569

Median Household Income: 64,927

Individuals Below Poverty Level: 15.4%

If east coasters retire to Florida, then Montanas retire to Arizona. Even before retirement, many Montanas split their time between Montana and Arizona.

#5 Portland, Oregon

Population:641,162

Median Household Income: $78,476

Individuals Below Poverty Level: 12.6%

If Missoula is "Little Portland" why wouldn't a Missoulian want to move to "Big Portland?" For any Montanan that wants to live in a big city, but not quite as big as Seattle, Portland is the next best thing.

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#4 Spokane, Washington

Population: 229,071

Median Household Income: $56,977

Individuals Below Poverty Level: 15.6%

A bigger city and it's close to Missoula, this might be the place where Missoulians are moving simply because of opportunity and proximity.

#3 Seattle, Washington

Population: 733,919

Median Household Income: $105,391

Individuals Below Poverty Level: 10%

We've even posed the theory that Missoula is actually a "Little Seattle" instead of a "Little Portland," and with the similarities between the Garden City and the Emerald City, it makes sense that Seattle is #3 on this list.

#2 Great Falls, Montana

Population: 60,403

Median Household Income: $53,126

Individuals Below Poverty Level: 14.5%

It's possible that the Malmstrom Air Force Base brings people from Missoula to Great Falls, but it's also a medium-sized city with cheaper real estate which might be a draw for some Missoulians.

#1 Billings, Montana

Population: 117,445

Median Household Income: $63,608

Individuals Below Poverty Level: 11.1%

Montanans like to think Billings and Missoula aren't compatible, but we've already pointed out the similarities between the two cities. Still, it comes as a shock that the most likely place Missoulians are moving is to Billings.

Keep reading to see where people from Montana are moving to most.