For well over a year now, I have been considering an upgrade to my living situation. I purchased my small "small starter home" 9 years ago and am simply growing out of it. I need a bigger home. But, with the market the way it is now, the thought of buying another home is terrifying. Yet, it needs to be done sooner than later.

Read More: 'Most Overpriced' Grocery Store Has One Location Here in Montana

As I constantly dwell on the topic, the thought of "where" to move is always on my mind. Where would I like to relocate to? To be clear, I don't have any intention of quitting my job or moving out of state. So the topic of which county to live in has been brought up a few times recently.

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Each of Montana's 56 counties has its charm and perks. My current living situation has me living in Ravalli County. But, the inevitable move could take me to Missoula County. One of my concerns about that possibility is the difference in property taxes that vary from county to county. If I chose to move from Ravalli County to Missoula County, I could find myself having to shell out far more money for taxes.

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The website 247wallst.com recently crunched the data for all 56 Montana counties to come up with which Montana County is the best pick.

They came up with their findings by researching the following parameters.

  • Avg. life expectancy at birth
  • Poverty rate
  • Adults with a bachelor’s degree
  • Median household income
  • County seat
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After combing through all the data, 247wallst.com found one county in Montana that is the best place to LIVE.

Any guesses?

According to the study, Galattin County is the best county to live in here in Montana.

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With an average life expectancy of 82.7 years and a poverty rate of only 10.6%, residents of Gallatin County are not doing so badly. Not to mention, Bozeman is a college town, so the number of adults with bachelor's degrees is higher than in other parts of the state. The median household income is also significantly higher than the rest of the state. ($83K/year compared to the state average of $66k/year).

So now we come full circle back to the thought of moving. Does this data make me want to move to Bozeman? Not necessarily. The median income may be higher than the rest of the state. But the property values and home prices are through the roof.

Montana's Most Viewed Home on Zillow in 2023

See photos of the home in Bigfork, Montana that was the most viewed on Zillow in 2023.

Gallery Credit: Ashley

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