Bozeman receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Missoula
Bozeman
Opportunity
78 · Top 13%
vs90 · Top 1%
Growth
73 · Top 15%
vs78 · Top 7%
Climate
58 · Bottom 19%
vs52 · Bottom 5%
Physical resilience
66 · Top 36%
vs75 · Top 22%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 11%
vs57 · Bottom 4%
Access
92 · Top 20%
vs93 · Top 19%
Economic stability
85 · Top 8%
vs82 · Top 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Missoula | Bozeman | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 125,631 | 124,074 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $74,989 | $93,528 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,638 | $54,482 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 33/sq mi | 48/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $466,400 | $667,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,184 | $1,694 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 59.7% | 61.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 2.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.0% | -0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.5% | 54.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.3% | 9.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 876 | 1,375 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.0 | 11.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 18.2% | -10.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 10°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 14.1" | 13.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.7 min | 20.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.5 | 34.2 | 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
Missoula
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, avalanche, earthquake.
Bozeman
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, wildfire.
Full profiles: Missoula, MT Metro Area · Bozeman, MT Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology