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Montana

Low tax burden · COL index 104

Wins 11 categories

VS

California

Moderate tax burden · COL index 142

Wins 5 categories

California's top income tax rate is 13.3% vs Montana's 5.9%. Cost of living in California (index 142) runs 37% higher than Montana (index 104). The median home in California costs $790K vs $450K in Montana. Politically, Montana voted Republican in 2024 (R+13.0) while California went Democratic (D+20.0).

Montana
California

Taxes

5.9%
Income Tax (top rate)
13.3%
0.58%/yr
Property Tax Rate
0.71%/yr
None
Sales Tax (avg)
8.82%
No
Social Security Tax
Yes
Yes
Estate Tax
Yes
4.1%
Capital Gains Tax
As income

Housing & Cost of Living

104
COL Index (100=avg)
142
$450K
Median Home Price
$790K
$1,450/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$2,300/mo
$2K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$2K/yr

Crime & Safety

398
Violent Crime / 100K
499
2,298
Property Crime / 100K
2,027

Healthcare

#30 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#13 of 50
76.5 yrs
Life Expectancy
79.2 yrs
9.2%
Uninsured Rate
6.8%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

#22 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#20 of 50
No
School Choice / Vouchers
No

Childcare

$1,150/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$2,200/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$115/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$175/mo
$510/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$620/mo
#16 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#49 of 50

Social Policy

F
Gun Laws Grade
A
R+13.0
2024 Presidential Margin
D+20.0

Category wins

11

Montana

5

California

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Your Priorities

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable