Popular Montana City Ranked Poorest In The State

Montana, like many other states, is one with haves and have-nots.

READ MORE: Montana is home to the most charming town in America. 

Over the last few years, many Montanans have struggled to make ends meet. Whether they struggle to keep up with the high cost of housing, or the increase of prices at the grocery store, fuel pump, property taxes, or utilities, for many Montanans, this is no longer The Last Best Place.

This of course has caused a lot of frustration and bitterness toward those who continue to move here even if it's warranted or not.

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While there are many poor towns across the state, when it comes to those with a bigger population, the poorest city in Montana might come as a big surprise to many. According to Stacker, when it comes to the poorest cities in Montana cities like Helena, Great Falls, and Butte all make the Top 5.

Before we reveal the poorest city in Montana, let's take a look at Montana's most boring towns.

Which city in Montana is the poorest in the state?

Oddly enough, the two most popular cities in Montana are ranked 2nd and 1st when it comes to the poorest. First up, is Missoula.  Missoula is the state's 2nd biggest city and also ranks 2nd on the list of the poorest cities.

Missoula has a lot going for it, with the University of Montana, and a pretty vibrant social scene, however when it comes to the median salary compared to the cost of living, many Missoulians are struggling.

Which Montana city takes the top spot?

According to the data, the poorest city in Montana is Bozeman with almost 18 percent of the city's population living below the poverty line.  Throw in the fact that the median income for a household is right around 60 thousand dollars, it's easy to see why so many Bozeman residents are having issues.

Although Bozeman is home to MSU and a few different high-profile companies, that doesn't seem to do much when it comes to bridging the gap. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be an easy solution to the problem and although the city and private contractors are addressing the lack of affordable housing, the cost is still too much for many locals to afford.