Do you live in one of the most miserable places in Montana?
Only a third of Montanans say they are truly happy. That’s too bad, considering that folks in Montana don’t really have it too bad in the grand scheme of things.
But, we were curious – which Montana cities might be the most miserable? We’re about to find out, using Saturday Night Science and data.
After analyzing the 34 largest cities, we sadly present the most miserable cities in the Treasure State.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Miserable Places In Montana
- Townsend
- Columbia Falls
- Colstrip
- Wolf Point
- Columbus
- Sidney
- Three Forks
- Laurel
- Glendive
- Hardin
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably don’t live in one of these cities.
Oh, and by the way, Bozeman is the happiest place in Montana.
For more Montana reading, check out:
The 10 Most Miserable Places In Montana For 2023
1. Townsend
/10
Population: 2,224
Poverty Level: 10.3%
Median Home Price $170,600
Married Households 18.0%
Households With Kids 19.27%
More on Townsend:
/10
Population: 5,304
Poverty Level: 11.3%
Median Home Price $243,200
Married Households 23.0%
Households With Kids 35.98%
More on Columbia Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
3. Colstrip
/10
Population: 2,094
Poverty Level: 7.4%
Median Home Price $123,700
Married Households 26.0%
Households With Kids 27.93%
More on Colstrip: Crime
4. Wolf Point
/10
Population: 2,638
Poverty Level: 30.9%
Median Home Price $105,400
Married Households 22.0%
Households With Kids 37.7%
More on Wolf Point: Crime
5. Columbus
/10
Population: 2,069
Poverty Level: 6.1%
Median Home Price $212,700
Married Households 26.0%
Households With Kids 25.9%
More on Columbus: Crime
/10
Population: 6,240
Poverty Level: 7.5%
Median Home Price $248,000
Married Households 24.0%
Households With Kids 26.1%
More on Sidney: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
7. Three Forks
/10
Population: 2,084
Poverty Level: 7.6%
Median Home Price $232,200
Married Households 28.0%
Households With Kids 31.16%
More on Three Forks:
/10
Population: 7,164
Poverty Level: 9.6%
Median Home Price $193,100
Married Households 21.0%
Households With Kids 30.76%
More on Laurel: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 4,928
Poverty Level: 8.6%
Median Home Price $160,000
Married Households 33.0%
Households With Kids 25.29%
More on Glendive: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 3,754
Poverty Level: 22.9%
Median Home Price $124,900
Married Households 24.0%
Households With Kids 31.69%
More on Hardin: Data
Methodology: How We Measured The Most Miserable Cities In The Treasure State
To rank the unhappiest places in Montana, we had to determine what criteria make people happy. It isn’t a stretch to assume that happy people earn great salaries, are relatively stress-free, and have a stable home life.
So we went to the Census’s American Community Survey 2017-2021 report for the happy criteria, flipped the list with Saturday Night Science, and it spit out the answer.
Like magic.
Here are the criteria we used to measure misery:
- Percentage of residents with a college degree
- Average commute times
- Unemployment rates
- Cost of living
- % of married couples
- % of families with kids
- Poverty rate
After we decided on the criteria, we gathered the data for the 34 places in Montana with over 2,000 people.
We then ranked each place from one to 34 for each of the seven criteria, with a score of one being the most miserable (Any ties were given to the larger place).
Next, we averaged the seven rankings into a Miserable Index for each place with the lowest overall Miserable Index “earning” the title “Most Miserable City In Montana.”
If you’d like to see the complete list of states, most miserable to happiest, scroll to the bottom of this post to see the unabridged chart.
We updated this article for 2023, and it’s our tenth time ranking the most miserable cities in Montana.
There You Have It – The Least Happy Cities In Montana
As we said earlier, trying to determine the most miserable cities in Montana is usually a subjective matter.
But if you’re analyzing cities where people are not stable, where you’re stuck in traffic, and no one spent the time to go to college, then this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the happiest cities in Montana, according to science:
- Bozeman
- Hamilton
- Helena
For more Montana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Montana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Montana
- Most Dangerous Cities In Montana
- Richest Cities In Montana
- Safest Places In Montana
- Worst Places To Live In Montana
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Montana
Miserable Cities In Montana For 2023
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Level | Median Home Value | % Married | % Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Townsend, MT | 2,224 | 10.3% | $170,600 | 18.0% | 19.27% |
| 2 | Columbia Falls, MT | 5,304 | 11.3% | $243,200 | 23.0% | 35.98% |
| 3 | Colstrip, MT | 2,094 | 7.4% | $123,700 | 26.0% | 27.93% |
| 4 | Wolf Point, MT | 2,638 | 30.9% | $105,400 | 22.0% | 37.7% |
| 5 | Columbus, MT | 2,069 | 6.1% | $212,700 | 26.0% | 25.9% |
| 6 | Sidney, MT | 6,240 | 7.5% | $248,000 | 24.0% | 26.1% |
| 7 | Three Forks, MT | 2,084 | 7.6% | $232,200 | 28.0% | 31.16% |
| 8 | Laurel, MT | 7,164 | 9.6% | $193,100 | 21.0% | 30.76% |
| 9 | Glendive, MT | 4,928 | 8.6% | $160,000 | 33.0% | 25.29% |
| 10 | Hardin, MT | 3,754 | 22.9% | $124,900 | 24.0% | 31.69% |
| 11 | Cut Bank, MT | 3,049 | 21.9% | $114,200 | 29.0% | 33.42% |
| 12 | Malta, MT | 2,031 | 4.1% | $136,300 | 34.0% | 27.84% |
| 13 | Kalispell, MT | 24,260 | 10.5% | $277,000 | 15.0% | 29.32% |
| 14 | Conrad, MT | 2,758 | 17.5% | $134,900 | 28.0% | 26.15% |
| 15 | Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, MT | 9,380 | 22.7% | $145,000 | 28.0% | 24.59% |
| 16 | Polson, MT | 5,161 | 13.6% | $217,700 | 16.0% | 21.6% |
| 17 | Billings, MT | 115,689 | 11.1% | $248,800 | 22.0% | 28.66% |
| 18 | Miles City, MT | 8,441 | 14.2% | $164,500 | 26.0% | 27.01% |
| 19 | Livingston, MT | 8,110 | 14.2% | $263,700 | 15.0% | 23.01% |
| 20 | Whitefish, MT | 7,783 | 4.9% | $477,600 | 13.0% | 23.54% |
| 21 | Belgrade, MT | 10,555 | 12.0% | $280,700 | 18.0% | 29.85% |
| 22 | Lewistown, MT | 5,967 | 19.0% | $120,300 | 22.0% | 16.25% |
| 23 | Great Falls, MT | 60,381 | 14.5% | $190,300 | 23.0% | 25.09% |
| 24 | Glasgow, MT | 3,192 | 8.1% | $165,300 | 33.0% | 30.65% |
| 25 | Missoula, MT | 73,300 | 16.0% | $324,700 | 14.0% | 22.74% |
| 26 | Dillon, MT | 3,930 | 24.4% | $171,600 | 14.0% | 22.39% |
| 27 | Shelby, MT | 3,139 | 8.3% | $168,400 | 27.0% | 22.97% |
| 28 | Libby, MT | 2,745 | 22.9% | $157,700 | 15.0% | 18.39% |
| 29 | Havre, MT | 9,417 | 12.9% | $179,700 | 31.0% | 30.36% |
| 30 | Red Lodge, MT | 2,032 | 10.3% | $296,300 | 12.0% | 14.17% |
| 31 | Deer Lodge, MT | 2,938 | 18.1% | $121,500 | 22.0% | 14.5% |
| 32 | Helena, MT | 32,060 | 9.4% | $278,300 | 18.0% | 22.82% |
| 33 | Hamilton, MT | 4,632 | 17.4% | $224,400 | 12.0% | 16.4% |
| 34 | Bozeman, MT | 51,574 | 14.9% | $466,400 | 8.0% | 19.44% |