Best Places59404, MT Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 59404, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Costs and crime both read low, and the nearest big city is a drive away. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
59404 ranks 3,768th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on low disaster risk by a wide margin, and distance from a big city ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 59404
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
59404's strengths and weaknesses
Where 59404 ranks high
- Disaster safetyBetter than 99% of zip codes
- Short commute16.3 minutes each way, better than 95% of zip codes
- Cell coverageBetter than 92% of zip codes
- Voter turnoutBetter than 88% of zip codes
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than 87% of zip codes
Where 59404 ranks low
- Big-city accessBetter than only 8% of zip codes
- Tree shadeBetter than only 12% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than only 28% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$1,039 a month, better than only 31% of zip codes
- TransitBetter than only 35% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 59404
A household needs to earn about $80,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 59404 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $92,677, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 59404's effective rate of 0.81%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 8 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 59404
59404's age mix sits close to the national median.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 59404.
Who works in 59404, and how
Work in 59404 centers on health care & social and retail trade. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 89%
- Work from home 8%
- Transit, walk, or bike 4%
Life in 59404
59404 has more restaurants and bars per resident than 67% of zip codes and more parkland per resident than 90% of zip codes. Dining, parks, and nightlife concentrates in some parts of 59404 and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in 59404, month by month
59404 sees roughly 117 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 89 degrees. January highs sit near 38, with lows near 16. The comfortable stretch runs June through September.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 27° | 16° |
| April | 58° | 42° | 29° |
| July | 89° | 71° | 51° |
| October | 60° | 45° | 32° |
Flying in and out of 59404
The nearest airport, Great Falls International, is about 2 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Boise Air Trml/Gowen Field, about 360 miles away.
The best schools in and around 59404
Schools across 59404 average a B, better than 64% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Benton Lake SchoolA+ · 75% proficient
- Meadow Lark SchoolA · 70% proficient
- Ulm SchoolA · 65% proficient
Top middle schools
- Belt 7-8A+ · 70% proficient
- North Middle SchoolB+ · 49% proficient
- Cascade 6-8B · 45% proficient
Top high schools
- Dutton/brady High SchoolB− · 42% proficient
- Fort Benton High SchoolB− · 40% proficient
- C M Russell High SchoolC · 34% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 59404 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
59404 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 59404 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Who 59404 suits
Remote workers
Cost of living against local pay beats 82% of zip codes, internet is fast and widely advertised, and 8% already work from home.
Retirees
The weather beats 74% of zip codes and health care access beats 62%.
Common questions about living in 59404
Is 59404 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 59404 ranks 3,768th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on low disaster risk, short commutes, and cell coverage, and lowest on distance from a big city and tree cover. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 59404 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $305,392. The overall cost of living runs about 13% below the national average. Set against a $92,677 median income, cost of living beats 82% of zip codes.
Is 59404 safe?
Yes, 59404 is safer than 76% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $317 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in 59404?
July highs average about 89 degrees, and January highs near 38 with lows near 16. That works out to about 117 pleasant days a year, more than 74% of zip codes.
Is 59404 good for families?
Schools beat 64% of zip codes, crime safety beats 76%, and childcare runs $1,039 a month.
Compare 59404 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 59404. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 59404 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
59404 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 59404: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 59404: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 59404: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 59404: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
59404 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.