Missoula vs Potomac
Missoula, Montana versus Potomac, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Potomac edges out Missoula on overall objective livability (50 vs 44 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Missoula | Potomac |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $60k | — |
| Cost of Living | $52k | $50k |
| Home Value | $381k | — |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | — |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $15k | $8 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.00% | — |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.25% | — |
| Unemployment | 4.6% | 0.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 68°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 17.4 in | 15.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 50.2 in | 51.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 212 days | 212 days |
| Summer Humidity | 45°F | 45°F |
| Comfortable Days | 35 days | 21 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 49.4 | 92.5 |
| Air Quality | 43 AQI | 43 AQI |
| School Quality | 48.3 | 48.3 |
| Violent Crime | 1845/100k | 858/100k |
| Property Crime | 3553/100k | 1095/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 74,627 | 18 |
| Median Age | 34.0 | 54.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.22 | 0.00 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 1.25 |
| Political Leaning | D+24 | R+38 |
| White (%) | 86.0% | 83.3% |
| Black (%) | 0.7% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.5% | 16.7% |
| Asian (%) | 1.6% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.3% | 0.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 16 min | — |
| Walkability | 16.0/20 | 12.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 173 mi | 192 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 91.8% | 62.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 40.47 | 1111.11 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Missoula or Potomac more affordable?
- Potomac has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Missoula's $52k and Potomac's $50k.
- Is Missoula or Potomac safer?
- Potomac has the lower violent crime rate. Missoula reports 1845/100k and Potomac reports 858/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).