Most Americans have never been to small town Montana. However, as the Montanan who live there know, small town Montana is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Montana has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Treasure State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 72 of Montana’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Montana where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in Montana for 2024:
- Lame Deer
- Fort Belknap Agency
- Crow Agency
- Hays
- South Browning
- North Browning
- Pablo
- Ronan
- Wolf Point
- Cut Bank
So what is the worst small town to call home in Montana for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Lame Deer is the worst small town to live in Montana.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Lame Deer home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Montana or the worst places to live in Montana.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Montana For 2024
1. Lame Deer
/10
Population: 2,064
Median Home Value: $150,299
Median Income: $31,250
Unemployment Rate: 26.3%
2. Fort Belknap Agency
/10
Population: 1,473
Median Home Value: $100,932
Median Income: $29,766
Unemployment Rate: 36.3%
3. Crow Agency
/10
Population: 1,965
Median Home Value: $126,128
Median Income: $32,721
Unemployment Rate: 41.8%
4. Hays
Population: 1,095
Median Home Value: $93,168
Median Income: $49,423
Unemployment Rate: 27.5%
5. South Browning
/10
Population: 1,654
Median Home Value: $0
Median Income: $26,101
Unemployment Rate: 15.3%
6. North Browning
/10
Population: 3,001
Median Home Value: $193,221
Median Income: $38,462
Unemployment Rate: 11.6%
7. Pablo
/10
Population: 1,799
Median Home Value: $196,297
Median Income: $35,395
Unemployment Rate: 8.2%
8. Ronan
/10
Population: 1,868
Median Home Value: $394,642
Median Income: $36,310
Unemployment Rate: 8.7%
9. Wolf Point
/10
Population: 2,634
Median Home Value: $277,061
Median Income: $46,389
Unemployment Rate: 16.6%
10. Cut Bank
/10
Population: 3,061
Median Home Value: $171,155
Median Income: $41,759
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Montana is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in Montana, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 72 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Montana.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Montana
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Treasure State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in Montana are Lame Deer, Fort Belknap Agency, Crow Agency, Hays, South Browning, North Browning, Pablo, Ronan, Wolf Point, and Cut Bank.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Montana, according to science:
- Three Forks (Pop. 1,895)
- Montana City (Pop. 2,716)
- King Arthur Park (Pop. 2,033)
For more Montana reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In Montana
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lame Deer | 2,064 | 26.3% | $150,299 | $31,250 |
| 2 | Fort Belknap Agency | 1,473 | 36.3% | $100,932 | $29,766 |
| 3 | Crow Agency | 1,965 | 41.8% | $126,128 | $32,721 |
| 4 | Hays | 1,095 | 27.5% | $93,168 | $49,423 |
| 5 | South Browning | 1,654 | 15.3% | $0 | $26,101 |
| 6 | North Browning | 3,001 | 11.6% | $193,221 | $38,462 |
| 7 | Pablo | 1,799 | 8.2% | $196,297 | $35,395 |
| 8 | Ronan | 1,868 | 8.7% | $394,642 | $36,310 |
| 9 | Wolf Point | 2,634 | 16.6% | $277,061 | $46,389 |
| 10 | Cut Bank | 3,061 | 2.6% | $171,155 | $41,759 |
| 11 | Whitehall | 1,129 | 9.6% | $427,620 | $41,477 |
| 12 | Plains | 1,181 | 2.5% | $407,744 | $25,313 |
| 13 | Libby | 2,857 | 2.1% | $342,272 | $36,373 |
| 14 | Eureka | 1,790 | 4.2% | $508,352 | $54,531 |
| 15 | Boulder | 1,214 | 6.0% | $327,309 | $54,609 |
| 16 | St. Ignatius | 1,019 | 6.9% | $478,152 | $46,250 |
| 17 | Hardin | 3,803 | 11.5% | $231,596 | $57,266 |
| 18 | Conrad | 2,640 | 4.6% | $225,365 | $49,135 |
| 19 | Sun Prairie | 1,366 | 0.0% | $217,392 | $52,311 |
| 20 | Stevensville | 2,038 | 4.9% | $560,086 | $39,836 |
| 21 | Lincoln | 1,005 | 0.2% | $341,110 | $42,900 |
| 22 | Marion | 1,219 | 11.2% | $646,380 | $58,704 |
| 23 | Townsend | 2,176 | 12.8% | $405,794 | $65,522 |
| 24 | Roundup | 1,824 | 3.8% | $226,081 | $54,167 |
| 25 | Plentywood | 1,781 | 2.5% | $190,844 | $66,607 |
| 26 | West Yellowstone | 1,147 | 1.6% | $578,545 | $48,750 |
| 27 | East Helena | 1,829 | 7.9% | $408,301 | $54,485 |
| 28 | Harlem | 1,005 | 8.7% | $160,531 | $61,818 |
| 29 | Choteau | 1,714 | 1.9% | $258,169 | $54,679 |
| 30 | Bonner-West Riverside | 1,281 | 5.0% | $0 | $58,673 |
| 31 | Shelby | 3,058 | 1.2% | $169,827 | $51,667 |
| 32 | Corvallis | 1,396 | 7.5% | $602,104 | $62,034 |
| 33 | Forsyth | 1,458 | 2.6% | $215,207 | $56,397 |
| 34 | Red Lodge | 2,321 | 4.2% | $480,258 | $39,472 |
| 35 | Hamilton | 4,806 | 2.4% | $485,729 | $45,973 |
| 36 | Dillon | 3,958 | 3.8% | $353,022 | $42,037 |
| 37 | East Missoula | 2,105 | 7.0% | $407,536 | $58,991 |
| 38 | Fort Benton | 1,544 | 6.4% | $249,207 | $67,656 |
| 39 | Chinook | 1,488 | 2.3% | $224,444 | $47,067 |
| 40 | Seeley Lake | 1,590 | 6.1% | $506,145 | $42,254 |
| 41 | Columbus | 1,932 | 5.0% | $420,659 | $59,150 |
| 42 | Thompson Falls | 1,658 | 0.6% | $411,891 | $43,125 |
| 43 | Helena West Side | 1,591 | 0.0% | $489,425 | $71,141 |
| 44 | Somers | 1,037 | 0.0% | $660,046 | $54,466 |
| 45 | Colstrip | 2,327 | 5.0% | $249,251 | $87,321 |
| 46 | Malta | 2,121 | 4.3% | $258,529 | $60,735 |
| 47 | Park City | 1,022 | 2.2% | $470,050 | $61,875 |
| 48 | Glendive | 4,861 | 4.1% | $218,024 | $65,663 |
| 49 | Lolo | 4,573 | 1.0% | $501,100 | $69,035 |
| 50 | White Sulphur Springs | 1,112 | 0.0% | $300,681 | $55,775 |
| 51 | Big Timber | 1,702 | 4.0% | $388,098 | $60,842 |
| 52 | Malmstrom Afb | 4,281 | 3.7% | $0 | $62,684 |
| 53 | Baker | 1,500 | 0.0% | $208,952 | $96,667 |
| 54 | Florence | 1,046 | 11.7% | $598,773 | $74,615 |
| 55 | Deer Lodge | 3,030 | 3.4% | $265,269 | $52,813 |
| 56 | Manhattan | 1,986 | 0.0% | $625,658 | $57,045 |
| 57 | Frenchtown | 1,570 | 3.6% | $597,936 | $86,184 |
| 58 | Bigfork | 4,953 | 3.5% | $752,328 | $73,443 |
| 59 | Big Sky | 2,825 | 1.7% | $1,688,764 | $94,176 |
| 60 | West Glendive | 1,912 | 2.4% | $298,840 | $66,725 |
| 61 | Glasgow | 3,208 | 0.8% | $167,389 | $65,850 |
| 62 | Helena Valley Northeast | 4,245 | 1.5% | $674,589 | $137,500 |
| 63 | Lakeside | 2,564 | 0.0% | $759,771 | $71,006 |
| 64 | Helena Flats | 1,071 | 2.9% | $668,583 | $68,194 |
| 65 | Wye | 1,074 | 5.7% | $689,970 | $93,264 |
| 66 | Churchill | 1,081 | 0.6% | $677,812 | $90,250 |
| 67 | Wheatland | 1,017 | 0.0% | $833,385 | $105,500 |
| 68 | Pray | 1,017 | 3.7% | $979,307 | $104,512 |
| 69 | Clancy | 1,970 | 1.4% | $586,221 | $95,357 |
| 70 | Three Forks | 1,895 | 1.4% | $522,069 | $77,674 |
| 71 | Montana City | 2,716 | 2.2% | $672,831 | $113,679 |
| 72 | King Arthur Park | 2,033 | 0.0% | $0 | $101,281 |
Have retired, am considering relocating to Montana. Any information will be valued.