Missoula vs Santa Fe
The short version
- Missoula is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Santa Fe area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $444,900 in Santa Fe and $473,100 in Missoula.
- Santa Fe has the warmer winter: January highs of 43°F vs 32°F.
- Missoula gets far more snow: 43 inches a year vs 20.
- Missoula is growing faster: +6.4% since 2020 vs +2.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Missoula (16 vs 21 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Missoula, MT | Santa Fe, NM | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 78,903 | 89,837 |
| Growth since 2020 | +6.4% | +2.7% |
| People per square mile | 2,253 | 1,720 |
| Median age | 34.7 | 46.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53% | 48% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $70,392 | $73,482 |
| Median home value | $473,100 | $444,900 |
| Home value to income | 6.7× | 6.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,189 | $1,463 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 96.4 | 98.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 94.9 | 108.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $72,300 | $74,100 |
| Homeowners | 47% | 64% |
| Top state income tax | 5.65% | 5.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 0% | 7.68% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 15.8 | 21.0 |
| Work from home | 15% | 17% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.8% | 5.1% |
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | 12.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 32° / 18° | 43° / 18° |
| July high / low | 85° / 52° | 86° / 55° |
| Precipitation per year | 14 in | 13 in |
| Snowfall per year | 43 in | 20 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 27 | 24 |
| Nights below freezing | 173 | 168 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 77.0 | 86.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 82% | 78% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.4% | +4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.9% | +42% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Missoula: June to September. Santa Fe: June to September.
Full monthly tables: Missoula weather by month and Santa Fe weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $72,300 in Missoula and $74,100 in Santa Fe. Moving from Missoula to Santa Fe, you would need about $76,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.