Quality of life comparison
If you lived in California instead of Montana, you would:
Health
live 2.2 years longer
In Montana, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In California, that number is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020.
be 10.7% less likely to be obese
In Montana, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2022. In California, that number is 28.4% of people as of 2022.
be 36.7% more likely to have diabetes
In Montana, 7.9% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In California, that number is 10.8% as of 2022.
Economy
make 58.7% more money
Montana has a GDP per capita of $52,945 as of 2024, while in California, the GDP per capita is $84,028 as of 2024.
be 37.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Montana, 3.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In California, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
Safety
be 15.0% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Montana has a violent crime rate of 437 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 503 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 26.9% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Montana has a property crime rate of 1,815 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 2,303 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 37.8% more money
The median household income in Montana is $69,922 as of 2023, while in California, it is $96,334 as of 2023.
pay 2.1 times more for a home
The median home value in Montana is $338,100 as of 2023, compared to $695,400 in California as of 2023.
pay 89.7% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Montana is $1,031 as of 2023, while in California, it is $1,956 as of 2023.
be 19.6% less likely to own your home
In Montana, 69.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In California, that number is 55.8% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 15.0% less likely to be uninsured
In Montana, 8.0% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In California, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 27.5% less likely to smoke
In Montana, 16.0% of adults smoke as of 2022. In California, that number is 11.6% as of 2022.
be 12.2 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Montana, 1.0% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In California, that number is 12.2% as of 2023.
commute 9.8 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Montana takes 19.2 minutes as of 2023. In California, it takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023.
live among residents who are 2.6 years older on average
The median age in Montana is 40.2 years as of 2023. In California, the median age is 37.6 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 32.3 times more densely populated
Montana has a population density of 3.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In California, that number is 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 26.8% more likely to be food insecure
In Montana, 8.2% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In California, that number is 10.4% as of 2021.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
