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Amid sprawling mountains and plains, "Big Sky Country" sparks the imagination with its continued and vivid associations with the Old West.

Sparsely populated (with the third lowest population density in the U.S.) the state's economy is based primarily on farming, cattle raising, lumber and mining.

Tourism is also big in Montana, with millions of visitors annually attracted to Montana ski resorts and popular national parks such as the Battle of Little Bighorn, Glacier National Park, and Yellowstone National Park.

While jobs in tourism, hotel and hospitality, health care, and other service areas are plentiful in high population areas, they offer some of the lowest wages anywhere within the US. On the upside, housing expenses and cost of living are also comparitively the lowest nationwide.

Montana quality-of-life statistics

Demographics : (Montana Census Data)
Major cities: Helena (capital), Billings, Butte, Bozeman, Great Falls, Missoula
Population : 944,632
White : 91.1%
Black, African American : 0.4%
Hispanic : 2.4%
High school graduates : 87.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher : 24.4%
Average household income: $35,574

Cost of Living: Sperling's Best Places - Montana - Compared to the rest of the country, Montana's cost of living is 6.29% lower than the U.S. average.

Property Taxes : Montana Tax Climate - Comparatively modest, with $1,034 in property taxes collected per capita in 2004, ranking 20th nationally.

Housing & Real Estate Overview : also see Zillow - Montana Real Estate
Home ownership rate : 69.1%
Average home price : $190,351
Average travel time to work : 17.7 minutes

Personal Income Taxes: Montana imposes state taxes at rates from 1 percent to 6.9 percent, ranging over seven income brackets. Residents are required to file state income taxes using Form 2 each year by April 15.

Schools : With a sparse tax base, Montana is a conservative state when it comes to education spending and traditionally maintains some of the lowest ranks in terms of teacher quality and educational output of all 50 states. Also see Montana Board of Public Education

Weather : Montana's diverse topography generally dictates temperatures with mountain elevations experiencing far cooler weather than the eastern plains even in summer. Northeast Montana is particularly subject to the most extreme winter weather conditions and heavy snows with temperatures well below zero.

Crime : see Montana Crime Rates

also see -> Montana Taxes | Montana Eviction Laws | Montana Tourism

Montana Lakes & Beaches |Christmas in Montana

Montana Kids Party Locations

More about relocating to Montana around the Web:

Moving to Montana - Thoughtful insider tips on available jobs, best places for housing costs, general economic outlook and general pros and cons on making the move to Montana.

Montana City Data Forums - Busy discussion board with Q&A, tips & advice on jobs & real estate, education, weather facts and relocating to Billings, Bozeman, Missoula and other towns & cities around the state.

Montana real estate, apartments & job classifieds:

Helena : Independent Record
Billings : Gazette
Butte : Montana Standard