Is This The “Smartest” Town In Montana? The Data Says Yes.

Well, this will no doubt tick off some folks across the state.

Here in Montana, we're like a big 'ole family.  We tend to fight amongst ourselves, yet come together when we need to and we certainly don't appreciate "outsiders" coming here and telling us what to do. Sure, we might have a friendly (and not so friendly) rivalry or two, but in the end, we're Montanans.

Long known for its beauty and western lifestyle, Montana is cowboy country, but make no mistake, there are plenty of those "cowboys" and "cowgirls" who are highly educated folks that are living and working in our communities across Big Sky Country.

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Having said that, which Montana town is considered the smartest? First, we should talk about the definition of "smart". According to Webster, it's defined as the following:

"having or showing a high degree of mental ability: INTELLIGENT, BRIGHT a smart young student a smart decision/investment/idea"

For our purposes, we're going to go with education level.  Now, I understand that a college degree doesn't mean intelligence, but that's the factor that we're going to use to measure the "Smartest Town In Montana".

According to the website 24/7wallstreet, the "smartest town" in Montana is Bozeman.  In fact, Gallatin Country has an extremely high rate of folks with at least a Bachelor's Degree. Over 50 percent of the residents living in Gallatin County have at least a 4-year degree, which is rather impressive.

As far as Bozeman goes, almost 60 percent of the population has a 4-year degree or higher compared to the average of 32 percent for the rest of the state.

Now, in true Montana fashion, those who side with the maroon and silver will no doubt cry foul. However, Missoula's percentage of residents with a 4-year degree is higher than the state average of 44 percent. Not quite, 60 percent, but it's not too shabby.

So, for those of you living across Big Sky Country with a dislike for Bozeman, this probably won't help.  For those living in Bozeman, don't worry, take pride in knowing that you're smarter than they are anyway.