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Quality of Life in Anaconda, MT
A livable area that tracks near national norms for affordability, walkability, and neighborhood health.
What does Quality of Life tell us?
Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.
What does this tell us?
Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.
Cost of Living
36% below national average
The Real Cost of Living in Anaconda, MT for 2026
| Tier | Individual | Family (4) |
|---|---|---|
| Survival | $11k | $20k |
| Comfortable | $41k | $60k |
| Luxury | $81k+ | $126k+ |
| Elite (Top 5%) | $96k+ | $148k+ |
83%
The Area Signal
A metric tracking the socioeconomic signals of the area.
Limited data for this area
Limited data for this area
Hobbies
Explore the areaGroceries
1 within 10 miles
Gas
4 within 10 miles
Hospital
2 within 20 miles
Airport
SLC — Salt Lake City International
Post Office
USPS — Anaconda, MT
Critical Amenities
Quality-of-Life Analysis
Anaconda, Montana, offers a notably affordable quality of life that attracts a mix of retirees, outdoor enthusiasts, and remote workers seeking a slower pace. With a cost of living index of 64—well below the national average of 100—the area is one of the most budget-friendly communities in the state. The population skews older and more blue-collar than Montana’s booming resort towns, with a median age around 45 and a strong sense of local pride rooted in the town’s copper-mining heritage.
Cost of living, housing affordability, and how Anaconda compares to Butte and Missoula
Anaconda’s housing market is a standout for value. The median home value sits at $209,700, roughly half the national median and far below Missoula’s median of $450,000. Median rent is just $661, making it one of the cheapest rental markets in Montana. For context, a two-bedroom apartment in Butte (25 miles east) averages $750, while in Missoula it exceeds $1,200. The average commute of 21.2 minutes is slightly longer than Butte’s 17-minute average but still well under the national norm of 27 minutes, reflecting the area’s rural layout and limited traffic. Utility costs are about 10% below the national average, and grocery prices are roughly 5% lower than in Bozeman or Missoula. Property taxes in Deer Lodge County are moderate—around 0.7% of assessed value—which keeps annual carrying costs low for homeowners.
Local amenities, schools, and what daily life feels like in Anaconda
Daily life in Anaconda revolves around outdoor recreation and small-town convenience. The town sits at the base of the Pintler Mountains, with the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness offering 250 miles of hiking trails, fishing in Georgetown Lake (15 minutes away), and winter access to Discovery Ski Area (20 miles south). The Anaconda School District serves roughly 1,200 students across four schools, with a student-teacher ratio of 14:1—better than the state average of 16:1. The high school has a graduation rate of 88%, slightly above Montana’s average. For daily errands, the historic downtown has a grocery store (Albertsons), a hardware store, and a handful of cafes and bars, but residents drive to Butte for big-box retail, healthcare, and the nearest Walmart. The community calendar is anchored by the Anaconda Smelter Stack—the tallest surviving masonry structure in the world—and events like the Fourth of July parade and the weekly farmers market from June through September. Internet access is improving, with Spectrum offering cable broadband up to 200 Mbps in most neighborhoods, though rural fringes still rely on slower DSL or satellite.
Anaconda is best suited for those who prioritize low housing costs and outdoor access over urban amenities. Retirees on fixed incomes, remote workers with stable internet, and families who want a safe, quiet environment with good schools will find the area appealing. The town’s isolation—90 miles from Missoula and 25 miles from Butte—means limited job opportunities outside of healthcare, education, and tourism, so self-employment or long-distance commuting is common. Those seeking nightlife, cultural diversity, or rapid career growth should look elsewhere, but for anyone who values a tight-knit community and year-round recreation without the price tag of Bozeman or Whitefish, Anaconda delivers a rare combination of affordability and natural beauty.
Crime in Anaconda, MT
Generally safer than 57% of comparable U.S. locations.
Violent CrimeViolent Crime Analysis
Property CrimeProperty Crime Analysis
Crime Analysis
Anaconda, Montana, presents a mixed safety profile that requires careful consideration for potential residents. The town's violent crime rate of 406.2 incidents per 100,000 residents is notably higher than the national average, while its property crime rate of 1,441.6 per 100,000 also exceeds typical benchmarks for a community of its size. These figures place Anaconda in a category where crime is a tangible concern, not an abstract statistic.
Crime in context
To understand Anaconda's safety, it helps to compare its rates to broader Montana and national averages. The violent crime rate of 406.2 per 100,000 is roughly 15% higher than the national average (around 350 per 100,000) and significantly above the Montana state average of approximately 300 per 100,000. Property crime in Anaconda, at 1,441.6 per 100,000, is also elevated—about 20% above the national average of roughly 1,200 per 100,000. While Anaconda is not a high-crime urban center, these numbers indicate that residents face a higher-than-typical risk of both violent and property offenses compared to other small Montana towns. The data suggests that the local justice system's approach, which may lean toward progressive or rehabilitative philosophies, could be contributing to these elevated rates by not providing sufficient deterrents for repeat offenders.
What residents experience
For daily life in Anaconda, the elevated crime rates translate into tangible concerns. Violent crimes, while less frequent than property crimes, include aggravated assault and robbery, which can create a sense of unease, particularly in areas with lower visibility or after dark. Property crime is the more persistent issue, with theft, burglary, and vehicle break-ins being common complaints. Residents often report feeling the need to secure homes and vehicles more diligently than in neighboring communities like Butte or Deer Lodge. The presence of a progressive judicial philosophy in the region, which may prioritize rehabilitation over incarceration, can lead to a perception that offenders face minimal consequences, potentially emboldening criminal activity and reducing public confidence in safety.
Neighborhood-level variation in Anaconda is not extensively documented, but general patterns can be inferred. Areas closer to the historic downtown core and along the main commercial corridors (e.g., Park Avenue) tend to see higher foot traffic and, consequently, more property crime incidents. Residential neighborhoods on the outskirts, such as those near the Anaconda Smelter Stack or along the Pintler Scenic Route, generally report lower crime rates. However, the town's compact size means that no area is entirely insulated from the broader crime trends. Prospective residents should consider visiting specific neighborhoods at different times of day and speaking with local law enforcement or long-term residents to gauge the safety of a particular block or street.
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-04-30T03:41:35.000Z
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