Missoula, MT: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Missoula ( mih-ZOO-lə) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five mountain ranges, and thus it is often described as the "hub of five valleys". It is the second-most populous city in Montana with a population of 73,489 at the 2020 census, increasing to an estimated 78,903 in 2025, while the Missoula metropolitan area has an estimated 128,698 residents. Missoula is home to the University of Montana, a public research university. The Missoula area was settled by people of European descent from 1858, including …

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From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Missoula ranks

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#4Most educated in MT #3Most trails in MT #6Most remote workers in MT All MT rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code59801, 59802, 59803

Area code406

Living in Missoula

Housing in Missoula

$569K▲ 1.2% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Missoula home is worth about $569,000, up 1.2% in a year, 21% above the Montana typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market57

Sold in May98

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Missoula

D

Safety Grade D

Missoula reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 93% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Missoula 5.9

Montana 4.2

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Missoula 28.4

Montana 14.7

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Schools in Missoula

All Missoula schools →

A⁻

School Grade A-

The public schools Missoula’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 76% of Montana’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

#7Best public schoolsof 40 in MT

DistrictMissoula ElemSchools35

Jeannette Rankin El AElementary · Grades PK–5 · 457 students Lewis & Clark School AElementary · Grades PK–5 · 429 students Hawthorne School AElementary · Grades PK–5 · 417 students Paxson School AElementary · Grades PK–5 · 415 students Chief Charlo School A-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 414 students Rattlesnake Elementary School A+Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 393 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within MT. Ratings are from neighbors.