Polson 53 Poor
Polson Livability #307 ranked city in Montana#24,387 ranked city in the USARanks better than 16% of areas
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Pros and Cons of Living in Polson

PROS
  • Cost Of Living Cost Of Living

    Taking into account the cost of goods and services like housing, groceries, transportation and utilities, the overall cost of living in this area is well below average.

CONS
  • Amenities Amenities

    The majority of amenities are not ideally located within walking distance. To access these amenities, residents may be required to rely on a vehicle or public transit.

  • Commute Commute

    A low commute score could be due to longer-than-average work commutes and the limited availability of public transportation in this area.

  • Crime Crime

    This area reports elevated crime rates per 100,000 individuals, potentially pointing some areas being unsafe for its residents. Stats are based on both property and violent crimes.

  • Employment Employment

    In the employment category, a low score could be attributed to low income levels and high unemployment in the area, suggesting potential difficulties in finding lucrative employment.

  • Health & Safety Health & Safety

    The low score in this category could be due to challenges related to air quality and the limited accessibility of health-related facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, doctors and pharmacies.

What's it like Living in Polson?

Located in the state of Montana, Polson is a small-sized city with a population of 5,165 inhabitants. If we look at the most recent Census, Polson is known to have a predominantly White population. The next two most common races are American Indian and Alaskan and Black. Not a fan of sitting in traffic during your commute to work? Polson offers shorter work commutes, with an average one-way commute time taking only 15 minutes, far lower than the national average of 26 minutes.

Whether you’re moving to a new town to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Polson could be a positive experience compared to other cities in Montana if you know where to search. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. With useful information like amenities, commute, education and other key data points, finding the best places to live in Polson and in the areas around Polson is a much easier task.

The livability score in Polson is 53 out of 100 and the city is ranked in the 16th percentile of all cities across America. This is a poor rating when compared to the average of other places in the country. For each of the livability categories, we can establish that Polson ranks very well for cost of living (A+) and housing (B-). On a less positive note, Polson does not have favorable scores for the following: amenities (F), crime (F), education (F) and employment (D-). If we take a look at the data, we can find out why.

A healthy real estate market serves as a key economic indicator. It could signify overall local economic strength, stability and reflects consumer confidence in the area. Based on multiple factors including: median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability, Polson has received high marks in the housing category. Based on these calculations, the apartment rental and real estate market appears to be very healthy.

Being close to public transit, grocery stores, parks and other conveniences are all important when weighing your options for a new home in Polson. Before you determine if any of these amenities are available in the area, you will also want to know if the real estate prices in Polson are affordable. The median home price for Polson homes is $354,019, which is 2.8% lower than the Montana average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Polson, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 6, which is 17.6% higher than the Montana average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Polson

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How Do You Rate The Livability In Polson?

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      Polson transportation information

      Statistic Polson Montana National
      Average one way commute15min18min26min
      Workers who drive to work80.7%75.1%76.4%
      Workers who carpool6.1%10.2%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit0.0%0.8%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle1.2%1.4%0.6%
      Workers who walk7.5%5.1%2.8%
      Working from home3.1%6.3%4.6%
      Source: The Polson, MT data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.