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Quality of Life in Dawson County
A livable area that tracks near national norms for affordability, walkability, and neighborhood health.
What does Quality of Life tell us?
Quality of Life measures an area by evaluating factors like cost of living, nearby amenities, country club access, airport proximity, socioeconomic signals and neighborhood character. For large states, this is a general average — quality of life can vary dramatically between metro areas, suburbs, and rural communities within the same state.
What does this tell us?
Quality of Life measures an area by evaluating factors like cost of living, nearby amenities, country club access, airport proximity, socioeconomic signals and neighborhood character. For large states, this is a general average — quality of life can vary dramatically between metro areas, suburbs, and rural communities within the same state.
Cost of Living
31% below national average
133%
The Real Cost of Living in Dawson County for 2026
| Tier | Individual | Family (4) |
|---|---|---|
| Survival | $13k | $25k |
| Comfortable | $36k | $54k |
| Luxury | $103k+ | $160k+ |
| Elite (Top 5%) | $122k+ | $188k+ |
Quality-of-Life Analysis
Dawson County, Montana, offers a distinct quality-of-life spectrum that ranges from the modest urban conveniences of its county seat, Glendive, to the wide-open, self-reliant lifestyle of its surrounding ranchlands and unincorporated communities. The county’s character is shaped by its position along the Yellowstone River and the I-94 corridor, attracting a mix of energy sector workers, agricultural families, and retirees seeking a low-cost, low-crime environment. With a cost of living index of 69—31% below the national average—and a median home value of just $187,400, the county provides a tangible affordability advantage that is rare even by Montana standards, though the trade-off is a sparse amenity base outside of Glendive.
Largest town(s) & population centers
Glendive is the undisputed population and commercial hub of Dawson County, home to roughly 5,000 of the county’s 8,800 residents. Daily life here centers around a functional downtown anchored by the Glendive Medical Center, Dawson Community College, and a cluster of big-box retailers and chain restaurants along the Merrill Avenue corridor. The town serves as a regional service center for the surrounding agricultural and energy industries, including the nearby coal-fired Lewis & Clark Station and natural gas operations in the Cedar Creek Anticline. Commute times are negligible—the county average is just under 20 minutes—and most residents can reach work, school, and shopping within a 10-minute drive. Housing stock is a mix of older Craftsman homes near the river and newer subdivisions on the town’s west side, with median rents around $823 offering a clear affordability edge over Montana’s booming western cities. The Makoshika State Park, just east of town, provides immediate access to badlands hiking and fossil hunting, a defining local amenity.
Smaller towns & rural pockets
Outside of Glendive, the county thins into a handful of unincorporated communities and wide-open ranch country. Richey, roughly 30 miles northwest of Glendive, is a small farming town with a population under 200, a single K-12 school, and a grain elevator that anchors the local economy. Lindsay, even smaller, sits along the Yellowstone River and consists largely of scattered farmsteads and a few dozen residents. The unincorporated area of Bloomfield, near the North Dakota line, is a ghost of its former self, with most services long gone. These pockets offer a fundamentally different daily rhythm: residents drive 30 to 45 minutes to Glendive for groceries, medical appointments, and school activities. Internet access can be limited to satellite or fixed wireless, and winter travel on county roads requires a reliable vehicle and a tolerance for isolation. The draw here is land—acreages are affordable, property taxes are low, and the pace of life is dictated by planting and harvest seasons rather than office hours.
Cost & lifestyle range
The cost spread across Dawson County is narrow in absolute terms but meaningful in lifestyle terms. At the low end, a small home or manufactured house on a rural lot in the Richey or Lindsay areas can be found for under $120,000, with total monthly housing costs—including taxes and insurance—often below $900. At the higher end, newer construction in Glendive’s west-side subdivisions, such as those near the Dawson County Golf Course, can reach $300,000 to $400,000, though this remains well below the national median. Renters in Glendive pay a median of $823, while rural renters often pay less for older farmhouses but face higher utility and transportation costs. Amenities follow a similar gradient: Glendive offers a hospital, a Walmart Supercenter, a public library, and a handful of local restaurants and bars, while rural residents must plan trips for basic errands. The county’s overall cost of living index of 69 reflects low housing, food, and healthcare costs, but the trade-off is limited job diversity—the economy leans heavily on agriculture, energy, and healthcare, with fewer white-collar or remote-work opportunities than in Bozeman or Missoula.
Dawson County is best suited for individuals and families who prioritize affordability, space, and a slower pace over urban amenities and career variety. Retirees on fixed incomes, agricultural workers, and energy-sector employees will find the most alignment with the county’s economic and social fabric. Those accustomed to walkable neighborhoods, frequent cultural events, or diverse dining scenes will likely feel constrained, especially outside of Glendive. For the right resident—one comfortable with long drives for specialty shopping and a community where everyone knows your name—Dawson County offers a stable, low-stress quality of life that is increasingly hard to find elsewhere in the state.
Crime in Dawson County
Generally safer than 57% of comparable U.S. locations.
Violent CrimeViolent Crime Analysis
Property CrimeProperty Crime Analysis
Crime Analysis
Dawson County, Montana, presents a mixed safety profile for prospective residents. The county's violent crime rate of 419.9 incidents per 100,000 residents is notably higher than the national average, while its property crime rate of 1,463.9 per 100,000 sits closer to but still above the national benchmark. These figures, drawn from the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data, indicate that while the area is not among the most dangerous in the state, crime is a tangible concern, particularly in the county's primary population center, Glendive.
Crime in context
To understand Dawson County's safety landscape, it is essential to compare its rates against broader averages. The national violent crime rate is approximately 380 per 100,000, meaning Dawson County's rate of 419.9 per 100,000 is about 10% higher. Property crime nationally sits around 1,954 per 100,000, so the county's rate of 1,463.9 is actually about 25% lower than the national average. However, when compared to the rest of Montana, Dawson County's violent crime rate is elevated. Many rural Montana counties report violent crime rates below 300 per 100,000. The county's property crime rate is more in line with the state median, though it is higher than in some neighboring jurisdictions like Wibaux County to the east. The city of Glendive, as the county seat and largest town, accounts for the majority of reported incidents. Smaller communities such as Richey and Lindsay generally report far fewer crimes, though their populations are too small to generate statistically reliable annual data.
What residents experience
For those living in Dawson County, the nature of crime is a key consideration. The violent crime category includes offenses like aggravated assault, robbery, and rape. Aggravated assault makes up the largest share of violent incidents, a pattern consistent with many rural counties. Property crime, which is more common, primarily involves theft and burglary. Residents in Glendive should take standard precautions: locking vehicles, securing outbuildings, and not leaving valuables visible. The judicial environment in Dawson County is a critical factor for public safety. Unlike some larger, more liberal jurisdictions in Montana—such as Missoula or Gallatin County, where progressive district attorneys have been criticized for pursuing lighter sentences and diversion programs that critics argue fail to deter repeat offenders—Dawson County operates within the Seventh Judicial District. This district, which also covers Richland, McCone, Prairie, and Wibaux counties, has historically taken a more conservative approach to prosecution. Judges and prosecutors in this district are generally viewed as prioritizing victim rights and public safety over offender rehabilitation, which can be a significant reassurance for residents concerned about the revolving-door justice system seen in more progressive areas.
Neighborhood-level variation
Safety in Dawson County is not uniform. The most significant variation exists between the city of Glendive and the surrounding unincorporated areas. Within Glendive, the area around the downtown core and the older residential neighborhoods near the Yellowstone River tend to see a higher concentration of police calls for service, including disorderly conduct and theft. In contrast, the newer subdivisions on the west side of town, near the Glendive Medical Center and the Dawson Community College campus, are generally quieter and report fewer incidents. For those seeking a more rural lifestyle, the small towns of Richey and Lindsay offer very low crime rates, though they lack the amenities of Glendive. The unincorporated areas along the Yellowstone River corridor also provide a buffer from the more concentrated crime found in town. Prospective residents should drive through potential neighborhoods at different times of day and speak with local law enforcement to get a true feel for the area's safety dynamics.
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-06-17T12:42:32.000Z
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