The 10 Snobbiest Places In Montana For 2024


The Snobbiest places in Montana are Bozeman and Whitefish for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

There are all types when it comes to being a snob in Montana. You’ve got your Wine Snobs, Book Snobs, and, of course, Clothes Snobs. Then there are the Technology Snobs, Car Snobs, and yes, even City Snobsas in, I’m better than you because I live in (insert snooty city here).

How can we tell which Montana cities are the snobbiest? By measuring snobby things, that’s how.

We used Saturday Night Science to look at things like expensive homes, high incomes, and overly educated populations by city in Montana. These are the criteria you’d argue with a friend over a foodie dinner about who’s snobbier.

After analyzing 31 of the state’s most populous areas over 2,000 people, we came up with this ranking of the ten snobbiest places in the state of Montana.

The Montanan in these places aren’t snobby, they just know they’re better than you.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


Snobbiest Cities In Montana Map

Don’t freak out.

What’s the snobbiest place in Montana? The snobbiest place in Montana is Bozeman based on the data. If we had their wealth and lifestyle, we’d probably be a little snobby, too.

The most laid back? That would be Cut Bank.

We’re not so full of ourselves as to make this ranking up from nowhere. So here’s a look at the top ten and more on how we did it. And if you’re curious, Montana is the 22nd snobbiest in the United States.

For more Montana reading, check out:

The 10 Snobbiest Places In Montana For 2024

Bozeman, MT

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10
Population: 53,500
% Highly Educated: 64.0%
Median Income: $74,113
Median Home Price: $712,076
More on Bozeman: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Whitefish, MT

Source: Wikipedia User Elkman | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10
Population: 8,098
% Highly Educated: 57.0%
Median Income: $69,919
Median Home Price: $817,427
More on Whitefish: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Belgrade, MT

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10
Population: 10,941
% Highly Educated: 37.0%
Median Income: $82,769
Median Home Price: $540,043
More on Belgrade: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Missoula, MT

Source: Wikipedia User w:en:Dsetay | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10
Population: 74,627
% Highly Educated: 51.0%
Median Income: $59,783
Median Home Price: $532,392
More on Missoula: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Helena, MT

Source: Wikipedia User RTC at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10
Population: 32,529
% Highly Educated: 50.0%
Median Income: $64,798
Median Home Price: $445,702
More on Helena: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Billings, MT

Source: Wikipedia User Sara goth | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10
Population: 117,093
% Highly Educated: 37.0%
Median Income: $69,692
Median Home Price: $376,105
More on Billings: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Livingston, MT

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10
Population: 8,489
% Highly Educated: 35.0%
Median Income: $62,893
Median Home Price: $526,321
More on Livingston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Columbia Falls, MT

Source: Wikipedia User JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10
Population: 5,435
% Highly Educated: 24.0%
Median Income: $64,500
Median Home Price: $569,087
More on Columbia Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Kalispell, MT

Source: Wikipedia User User: Dan Petesch | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10
Population: 25,473
% Highly Educated: 32.0%
Median Income: $57,123
Median Home Price: $528,069
More on Kalispell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Polson, MT

Source: Wikipedia User Montanabw | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10
Population: 5,218
% Highly Educated: 27.0%
Median Income: $48,866
Median Home Price: $544,825
More on Polson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Methodology: How we determined the snobbiest cities in the Treasure State

Do you think wed just come up with this list willy-nilly? Not a chance – we only use Saturday Night Science around here.

We gathered up all of the places in Montana with populations of 2,000 people or more. This left us with a total of 31 places. Then, we looked at each place in terms of these snoot-er-iffic criteria (And no, its not a word. English snob.):

  • Median home price (Higher is snobbier)
  • Median household income (Higher is snobbier)
  • Percent of population with a college degree (Higher is snobbier)

Incomes and college education levels come from the American Community Survey. Home prices come from Zillow.

Turned out this simple criteria was much better at sniffing out the snobby places then more snobby criteria like:

  • Libaries per capita (Higher is snobbier)
  • Museums per capita (Higher is snobbier)
  • Private schools per capita (Higher is snobbier)

From there, we ranked each of our 31 places in each category with scores from one to 31. We then averaged each places ranking into one overall score, where the lowest score went to the snobbiest place in Montana. So lets all flip a table in honor of Bozeman (with our pinkies up, of course.)

Before you get upset and ruin your blowout or something drastic here, lets remember that this is all in good fun. Would we live in one of these 10 places if we had the chance? Of course, we would.

And it’s not like your real estate agent would ever point out how snobby the town you’re moving to is. We’re here to keep you grounded, even if you’re wearing a monocle.

There You Have It – Now That You’re On Your High Horse

When it comes to snobbery, these places in Montana are heading ever upward. Residents in these communities are well educated, well paid, and appear to have all the sophisticated culture and entertainment of an Ernst Lubitsch film right at their fingertips.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

The snobbiest cities in Montana are Bozeman, Whitefish, Belgrade, Missoula, Helena, Billings, Livingston, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, and Polson.

If you’re also curious enough, here are the most laid back places in Montana, according to science:

  1. Cut Bank
  2. Libby
  3. Wolf Point

For more Montana reading, check out:

Table: The Snobbiest Cities In Montana For 2024

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Prices Adult Highly Educated
1 Bozeman, MT 53,500 $74,113 $712,076 64.0%
2 Whitefish, MT 8,098 $69,919 $817,427 57.0%
3 Belgrade, MT 10,941 $82,769 $540,043 37.0%
4 Missoula, MT 74,627 $59,783 $532,392 51.0%
5 Helena, MT 32,529 $64,798 $445,702 50.0%
6 Billings, MT 117,093 $69,692 $376,105 37.0%
7 Livingston, MT 8,489 $62,893 $526,321 35.0%
8 Columbia Falls, MT 5,435 $64,500 $569,087 24.0%
9 Kalispell, MT 25,473 $57,123 $528,069 32.0%
10 Polson, MT 5,218 $48,866 $544,825 27.0%
11 Colstrip, MT 2,327 $87,321 $249,251 24.0%
12 Red Lodge, MT 2,321 $39,472 $480,258 43.0%
13 Hamilton, MT 4,806 $45,973 $485,729 28.0%
14 Great Falls, MT 60,373 $58,272 $305,613 27.0%
15 Townsend, MT 2,176 $65,522 $405,794 17.0%
16 Stevensville, MT 2,038 $39,836 $560,086 26.0%
17 Havre, MT 9,332 $63,143 $253,078 26.0%
18 Dillon, MT 3,958 $42,037 $353,022 33.0%
19 Glendive, MT 4,861 $65,663 $218,024 24.0%
20 Hardin, MT 3,803 $57,266 $231,596 31.0%
21 Laurel, MT 7,181 $62,250 $376,373 16.0%
22 Malta, MT 2,121 $60,735 $258,529 23.0%
23 Glasgow, MT 3,208 $65,850 $167,389 20.0%
24 Deer Lodge, MT 3,030 $52,813 $265,269 22.0%
25 Sidney, MT 6,257 $56,696 $299,126 11.0%
26 Lewistown, MT 5,988 $40,705 $251,367 23.0%
27 Shelby, MT 3,058 $51,667 $169,827 22.0%
28 Conrad, MT 2,640 $49,135 $225,365 20.0%
29 Wolf Point, MT 2,634 $46,389 $277,061 12.0%
30 Libby, MT 2,857 $36,373 $342,272 17.0%
31 Cut Bank, MT 3,061 $41,759 $171,155 19.0%
About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

3 thoughts on “The 10 Snobbiest Places In Montana For 2024

  1. do you have any articles about Somers Montana? what is that place known for or all about? My sister is moving there and I am not impressed with what I have read about Kalispell and those surrounding areas….tell us how it is brother!

  2. Whitefish and Kalispell also have two of the highest crime rates in Montana! As for “snobiness” I would rather live in little old Lima, Mt. On my comparable income and a lot less crime or snobiness!

  3. There is no way Red Lodge is snobby. Everyone is friendly and all the stores appreciate each and every person who comes to town. Don’t know how you determined to rely on impersonal statistics to arrive at your conclusions. I am not a full time resident but we have been summer residents for sixteen years. Suspect none of you intellectual creators of this list have never spent much time there!
    For shame..

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