Filling our inbox: Off-the-wall rankings and statistics on Montana
(Missoula Current) Novel at one time, rankings of this and that have become a regular feature in our inbox. So instead of deleting them, we've listed them here for your consideration.
Airbnb remitted more than $14 million in Montana taxes
In 2022, Airbnb said it collected and remitted over $14.1 million in tourism taxes on behalf of hosts in Montana.
This comes at a time when some local governments across the U.S. are still reeling from the financial impact of the pandemic, which decimated local revenue streams.
In contrast, tourism taxes collected on behalf of Airbnb hosts increased by almost 130% since 2019 in the US. In Montana, those taxes increased by 255% in the same year.
In 2022, the typical Airbnb host in Montana earned over $14,200. You can learn more about Airbnb’s 2022 tax collection data here.
Best-Paying U.S. Cities for Women in 2023
Smartest Dollar said the share of women working full time, which had been growing steadily since 2011, began to decline during the COVID-19 pandemic when unreliable childcare and remote learning put more caregiving responsibilities on women’s shoulders.
But for those who have continued in the workforce, wage growth has accelerated—though women’s earnings are stronger in certain parts of the country than others.
Researchers ranked states by each location’s median annual wage for women working full time, adjusted for the cost of living. The analysis found that women working full time in Montana earn an adjusted median wage of $45,568 annually, compared to the national median of $49,263.
Out of all U.S. states, Montana is the 12th worst-paying for women.
Best and worst states for financial literacy
The Penny Hoarder just released its analysis of the best and worst states for financial literacy in 2023. It found that Montana ranks No. 21 for financial literacy and financial resilience support.
Montana earned 64.3% out of 100%, based on a 100-point scale evaluating financial literacy course requirements, average credit scores, wage disparity, predatory loan protections and other criteria.
New Hampsuire ranked No. 1 with a score of 79.9% while Nevada ranked last with a score of 40%.
Falling behind on electric vehicles
Electric vehicles continue to rise in popularity around the U.S. but Montana is far behind. Lending Tree's team of analysts found that Montana is the 6th worst when it comes to electric vehicle infrastructure.
They looked at electric vehicle adoption rates, EV incentives, charging stations and more to evaluate electric vehicle infrastructure in each state.
In Montana, 0.36% of vehicles are electric while there's only 3 alternative fuel stations per 10,000 vehicles and 5 electric charging outlets per 10,000 vehicles.
More older adults living alone
While living within an extended family household is the most common arrangement for seniors globally, older people in the U.S. are more likely to live alone or with a partner rather than with adult children, grandchildren, or other relatives.
Plenty of seniors continue to live independently in certain locations. Researchers ranked states according to the percentage of seniors (age 65 and older) living alone.
The analysis found that 26.4% of seniors in Montana live along compared to 25.7% of seniors nationally.