Bozeman and Belgrade receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Bozeman
Belgrade
Opportunity
85 · Top 3%
vs84 · Top 4%
Growth
75 · Top 10%
vs65 · Top 24%
Climate
52 · Bottom 2%
vs52 · Bottom 2%
Physical resilience
73 · Top 33%
vs74 · Top 32%
Housing affordability
47 · Bottom 8%
vs63 · Bottom 24%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
62 · Top 47%
vs73 · Top 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Bozeman | Belgrade | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,114 | 11,872 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,747 | $97,328 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,507 | $54,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,621/sq mi | 2,440/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $687,900 | $535,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,717 | $1,877 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 44.7% | 56.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% | 2.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.1% | -0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 65.1% | 37.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.7% | 11.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 872 | 121 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 15.5 | 10.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 2.6% | -44.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 10°F | 10°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.4" | 13.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 1 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.3 min | 26.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 28.9 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Bozeman
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, wildfire.
Belgrade
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, wildfire.
Full profiles: Bozeman, MT · Belgrade, MT · How this is calculated: methodology