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Wyoming Versus Montana. Many see Wyoming and Montana very similar! While there are lots of similarities, there are also some vast differences!
Hi, I’m Alisha Collins with RE/MAX The Group, and the Alisha Collins Real Estate Team. While I am definitely pro Wyoming, let’s take a look at the similarities and differences between these two neighbors. This is going to be very interesting. It might be like looking at the stats on two houses that are side-by-side, on paper, very similar, but when you step inside, you get a completely different feel. Let’s look at the numbers and see how they stack up.
Montana is just over 147,000 square miles. Wyoming is just under 98,000 square miles, so just about two thirds the size of Montana. So more ground to be found in Montana. How many people call that ground home? Well, Montana boasts a touch over 1 million people. That sounds like a lot to me, but then again, that’s because Wyoming only has just under 579,000 people. So, maybe to other people, Montana’s population isn’t that large. Montana has almost double the people and a third more of the space. So what does that mean? Well, if you’re looking for space, Wyoming wins, even with the larger area, due to the larger population. Wyoming has lower population density than Montana at 5.87 people per square mile. It comes in a full person per square mile lower than Montana’s 6.86. Okay.
What other numbers are important when looking at living somewhere else? Hmm, how about median income? Well, according to this website, Wyoming wins there too. Wyoming has a median income of just over $64,000 a year, which is a little over 16% higher than Montana’s median income of just under 55,000. The median home price in Wyoming is another winner for us, coming in at 220,500. The median home price in Wyoming is about 5% lower than Montana’s 230,600. So higher income and lower home prices, I would say that is definitely a positive for Wyoming.
What other numbers can we look at? How about taxes? Montana gets a big win with no sales tax, but then Wyoming gets a next win in the no state income tax area. Now over the years, both policies have come up for review and may change in the future, depending on each state’s finances at the time, but for now they each have their own tax advantages. Again, I think the overall win has to go to Wyoming though with no state income tax. You don’t always spend your entire income on things that have sales tax, so the savings might be greater in Wyoming than Montana. Plus, while Wyoming does have sales tax, it is still fairly low compared to other states. So let’s see, using purely numbers, I would say that Wyoming comes out a little ahead of Montana overall. I guess you could say that the lower population density could be a pro or a con, depending on your opinion, same thing with no income tax versus no sales tax. So both of these can be a point for either side. Where Wyoming pulls ahead in the numbers game is on the median home prices and median income.
Since we are talking about taxes and numbers, we should probably touch on the fact that Wyoming is one of the best states for business. According to this website, it’s actually the number one state when it comes to business tax climate. But then, according to this site, Montana comes in at number one and Wyoming at number nine, best places to start your small business. As usual, It depends on which source and what measure to see which is best for business. Let’s call this a draw yet again.
Okay, so we all know living somewhere is more than just numbers, it’s also the feel of the place. From what I know about both Wyoming and Montana, they are both known to have friendly, helpful, generous people, so equal there as far as I see. Both have small quaint towns, medium towns and larger cities, of course, not too large. Billings is the largest city in Montana with just around 100,000 people. Wyoming’s largest city is Cheyenne, which is just over 63,000 people. So if you’re looking for large, Montana edges out Wyoming, but my guess is that if you’re looking at these two states, you are not looking for just a large city.
On the political side of things, Wyoming as a whole is a bit more conservative when compared to Montana, so depending on your political views, that might have you considering one over the other, but then again, one of the great things about both Montana and Wyoming is the independent spirit that is alive and well in both places. Basically, both states have a live and let live attitude about a lot of things, politics included, sometimes of course.
So, the feel of the place also includes climate and activities, and I should say that there is an abundance of both in both of the states. Okay, so when it comes to climate, I have to say that Montana probably wins by a hair. The average temperatures in Montana are actually a little bit warmer than Wyoming. 42.7 degrees compared to 42 degrees, a little, but there you have it, Montana wins.
Additionally, while there are places in Montana that have a reputation for being windy, I think that Wyoming has an overall reputation for wind. You want to check out more about the wind in Wyoming check out my video that is named Wind in Wyoming. So overall, climate, it looks like Montana wins by just a little bit.
Okay, so the last comparison that I can think of is all about the great outdoors, and I am not sure there is a winner now. Both states have amazing mountains, lakes, rivers for camping, hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, skiing and more. Both states have an equal number of national parks. They share Yellowstone, and Montana has Glacier National Park and Wyoming has Grand Teton National Park. If there is an outdoor activity you want to try, you probably can do it in either Wyoming or Montana.
So I’m not sure I’ve helped anyone decide which is better. It might be that like beauty, the winner of Montana versus Wyoming is in the eye of the beholder. Like I said, I am a bit partial to Wyoming, but I do hope that I have answered some of your questions when it comes to the similarities and differences between Wyoming and Montana. If not, maybe you should come down for a visit and see for yourself why Wyoming should really win this debate. If you like what you see, please subscribe, comment. I’d love to chat with you about the real estate market, and we would love to help you find the home of your dreams. Have a great day, we want you to love where you live.