Montana Ranked #1 Quietest State in the US
Montana has a lot of really good - and some bad - things about it. We have a "way of life" (whatever that exactly means?) that politicians like to spout about in their TV commercials. We have great outdoor recreation opportunities. We have a relatively low cost of living (particularly in some parts of the state - not so much in Bozeman). We also have some of the lowest wages. Due to our state's huge size, we seem far removed from a lot of the country. That can be a plus or a minus, I suppose. Airfare is generally more expensive in Montana than if you lived pretty much anywhere closer to a major airport.
One great thing about Big Sky Country is that you can easily escape urban environments. Drive 100 miles in any direction from Billings and you can find complete solitude. With that solitude comes silence.
Sure, you may hear some birds or wildlife or the wind in the grass or trees, but there are literally hundreds of thousands of acres in Montana where you would be hard pressed to hear the sound of people. In many of these spots, the only sign of humanity may be a jet plane flying 30,000 feet overhead.
How quiet is Montana? According to the folks over at Zippia.com, we are 50th on the list of noisy states. That means we're #1 when it comes to being quiet. Sweet. They analyzed a ton of data, including population density, cars on the road and household size to determine the rankings. New Jersey came in as the loudest state in the US.
My wife might argue with these statistics, as it doesn't really seem that quiet in our house. In fact, I joke with my kids that we are the actual "Loud House", not the popular Nickelodeon cartoon. Here's to finding some peace and quiet. It shouldn't be too hard in Montana.