Housing and tax tradeoff: Missoula, Montana
Missoula, Montana comes out ahead here on rent burden and home price. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
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Compare Bend and 2 other shortlist cities on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
BendBozemanMissoula
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman, Montana is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on sunshine, weaker on climate comfort.
Potential dealbreaker: Bend, Oregon
Bend, Oregon needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Route | |||
| General Info | |||
| Population | 87,014 | 53,500 | 74,627 |
| Population Density | N/A | 2.5k /sq mi | 2.1k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 3,629 ft(1,106 m) | 4,816 ft(1,468 m) | 3,209 ft(978 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | |||
| Median Home | $719,428 | $704,794 | $552,881 |
| Median Rent | $2,258 | $2,136 | $1,526 |
| Median Income | $82,671 | $74,113 | $59,783 |
| Rent Burden | 33% | 35% | 31% |
| Climate & Risks | |||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 306 days/yr | 316 days/yr | 295 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 60°F | 55°F | 59°F |
| Avg. Low | 39°F | 33°F | 37°F |
| Comfort Score | 50/100Mixed | 32/100Challenging | 38/100Challenging |
| Temp Swing | 45°F | 51°F | 52°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 25"(64 cm) | 19"(48 cm) | 19"(48 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 58"(147 cm) | 58"(147 cm) | 46"(117 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 392024 modeled avg · 8 days > 100 | Typical: 432024 modeled avg · 0 days > 100 | Typical: 402024 modeled avg · 3 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | |||
| Transit Score | 37 | 30 | 55 |
| Safety Score | 80 / 100 | 71 / 100 | 60 / 100 |
| School Rating | 6.2/10 | 9/10 | 8.8/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | N/A | N/A |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 9%Cable: 86% | Fiber: 53%Cable: 73% | Fiber: 6%Cable: 86% |
| Demographics | |||
| Median Age | 39.5 years | 28.2 years | 34 years |
| College Educated | 48% | 64% | 50% |
| Remote Workers | 19% | 15% | 11% |
| Nature Access | |||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | |||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Bend. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Bozeman. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Missoula. One featured slot per city |
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