State scorecard
Montana in the US Political Rank
Every place Montana holds across our state rankings, in one scorecard. Economy, taxes, education, crime, healthcare, and more, each measured the same way for all 50 states and each linked to the full cited ranking.
#12
of 50 on States Ranked by Dependence on Federal Money
#47
of 25 on States Ranked by Housing Affordability
57.4%
Governor Greg Gianforte performance score, rank 7 of 50
10
state rankings that score Montana
Governor
Montana's governor, Greg Gianforte (Republican), holds performance rank 7 of 50 at 57.4% this week in the Governor Performance Rankings, scored on 263 metrics and updated every Monday.
| Ranking | Montana's place | Score |
|---|---|---|
| States Ranked by Dependence on Federal MoneyFederal funds were about 34 percent of state revenue in fiscal 2022, and a small, older, lower-income population keeps the per-capita balance of payments comfortably positive (Pew, FY 2022; Rockefeller Institute, 2025). | #12 of 50 | 84.7 |
| States Ranked by Total Tax BurdenNo general sales tax, and an income tax rate reduction that took effect January 1, 2026, one of eight states cutting rates that day (Tax Foundation, 2026 State Tax Changes). | #14 of 50 | 80.5 |
| The Top 20 Energy-Producing StatesPowder River Basin coal on the eastern side, hydroelectric dams on the western side, plus Bakken-edge oil production (EIA). | #16 of 20 | 5.2 |
| States Ranked by K-12 Education OutcomesIts eighth graders scored above the national average in both reading and math on the 2024 assessment (NCES, NAEP 2024). | #18 of 50 | 84.4 |
| Voting With Their Feet: States Ranked by Migration and Population GrowthA continuing Mountain West destination for remote workers and retirees in the Vintage 2025 estimates (Census Bureau, 2025), with a tax structure the Tax Foundation ranks sixth best (Tax Foundation, 2026). | #24 of 50 | 63.1 |
| States Ranked by Health Care OutcomesA middle-tier state where rural access constraints and higher injury mortality offset a below-average uninsured rate after its 2016 Medicaid expansion (Commonwealth Fund, 2025; Census ACS, 2023). | #27 of 50 | 75.6 |
| Ranking the 50 State Economies of 2026The Tax Foundation ranks Montana's tax structure sixth best in the nation (Tax Foundation, 2026), and an income tax cut took effect January 1, 2026 (Tax Foundation, 2026). A small labor pool caps the ceiling. | #27 of 50 | 71.4 |
| States Ranked by Violent Crime Rate423.5 per 100,000 but with a low murder rate of 2.7, one of the widest gaps between a high violent crime rate and low lethal violence of any state (FBI, 2024). | #40 of 50 | 423.5 |
| States Ranked by Business Climate: What the Major Raters Agree OnThe reverse split: the Tax Foundation ranks Montana's tax structure sixth best, while CNBC ranks the state 48th overall with the worst workforce score in the nation (Tax Foundation, 2026; CNBC, 2025). Good tax design cannot conjure workers. | #43 of 25 | 42.7 |
| States Ranked by Housing AffordabilityRemote-work migration repriced the state faster than incomes could follow, leaving Montana with one of the worst ratios outside the coasts (Visual Capitalist, 2026). | #47 of 25 | 35.9 |
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