County housing intelligence
Montana Housing Market by County
Montana is not one housing market. Across 56 counties, the median county home value is $214,750 and the median county rent is $801/mo. The useful question is not whether Montana is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$214,750
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$801/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
56
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Montana Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Gallatin County, Flathead County, Madison County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Wibaux County, Sheridan County, Liberty County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Gallatin County, Madison County, Missoula County lead on rent, while Chouteau County, Judith Basin County, McCone County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Wibaux County, Sheridan County, Blaine County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Wibaux County
$92,300
- 2. Sheridan County
$111,600
- 3. Liberty County
$116,800
- 4. Roosevelt County
$119,400
- 5. Blaine County
$124,900
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Wibaux County
1.4x home-value-to-income
- 2. Sheridan County
1.8x home-value-to-income
- 3. Blaine County
1.9x home-value-to-income
- 4. Liberty County
2.2x home-value-to-income
- 5. Powder River County
2.2x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Chouteau County
$485/mo
- 2. Judith Basin County
$502/mo
- 3. McCone County
$543/mo
- 4. Glacier County
$553/mo
- 5. Daniels County
$588/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Wibaux County
12.0% rent burden
- 2. McCone County
15.0% rent burden
- 3. Treasure County
15.0% rent burden
- 4. Chouteau County
16.0% rent burden
- 5. Golden Valley County
16.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Madison County
0.41% effective tax rate
- 2. Carter County
0.44% effective tax rate
- 3. Judith Basin County
0.45% effective tax rate
- 4. Sweet Grass County
0.49% effective tax rate
- 5. Golden Valley County
0.51% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Wibaux County
$429/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Madison County
$310/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Roosevelt County
$292/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Sweet Grass County
$234/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Garfield County
$208/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Wibaux County
$64,792 income, 1.4x value-to-income
- 2. Sheridan County
$63,654 income, 1.8x value-to-income
- 3. Blaine County
$65,050 income, 1.9x value-to-income
- 4. Powder River County
$68,009 income, 2.2x value-to-income
- 5. Dawson County
$70,953 income, 2.6x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Liberty County $116,800 home value, $53,264 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Sheridan County $111,600 home value, 1.29% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Sanders County $774/mo rent, 39.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Gallatin County $604,900 home value, $87,454 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Lowest rents
Compare Every Montana County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wibaux County | $92,300 | $964/mo | $64,792 | 1.4x | 0.71% |
| Sheridan County | $111,600 | $749/mo | $63,654 | 1.8x | 1.29% |
| Blaine County | $124,900 | $689/mo | $65,050 | 1.9x | 1.52% |
| Liberty County | $116,800 | $668/mo | $53,264 | 2.2x | 1.03% |
| Powder River County | $149,400 | $609/mo | $68,009 | 2.2x | 0.83% |
| Roosevelt County | $119,400 | $707/mo | $53,125 | 2.2x | 1.29% |
| Big Horn County | $148,200 | $686/mo | $56,680 | 2.6x | 1.00% |
| Dawson County | $187,400 | $823/mo | $70,953 | 2.6x | 1.17% |
| McCone County | $197,400 | $543/mo | $71,842 | 2.7x | 0.67% |
| Garfield County | $178,300 | $802/mo | $61,750 | 2.9x | 0.66% |
| Petroleum County | $173,700 | $769/mo | $59,318 | 2.9x | 0.73% |
| Treasure County | $215,300 | $992/mo | $73,036 | 2.9x | 0.62% |
| Phillips County | $175,000 | $623/mo | $58,156 | 3.0x | 0.85% |
| Daniels County | $177,800 | $588/mo | $58,000 | 3.1x | 0.86% |
| Valley County | $198,600 | $769/mo | $64,515 | 3.1x | 1.10% |
| Custer County | $204,200 | $918/mo | $63,585 | 3.2x | 1.10% |
| Chouteau County | $185,100 | $485/mo | $56,927 | 3.3x | 0.78% |
| Fallon County | $237,000 | $772/mo | $72,284 | 3.3x | 0.57% |
| Pondera County | $179,200 | $806/mo | $53,500 | 3.3x | 0.88% |
| Rosebud County | $188,900 | $644/mo | $56,430 | 3.3x | 0.63% |
| Carter County | $176,600 | $731/mo | $52,171 | 3.4x | 0.44% |
| Fergus County | $202,700 | $868/mo | $59,731 | 3.4x | 0.84% |
| Glacier County | $153,400 | $553/mo | $45,129 | 3.4x | 0.81% |
| Hill County | $187,600 | $752/mo | $55,313 | 3.4x | 1.08% |
| Teton County | $235,500 | $750/mo | $67,766 | 3.5x | 0.82% |
| Toole County | $187,400 | $753/mo | $53,693 | 3.5x | 0.96% |
| Golden Valley County | $203,900 | $769/mo | $57,353 | 3.6x | 0.51% |
| Cascade County | $243,300 | $902/mo | $66,203 | 3.7x | 0.92% |
| Musselshell County | $221,200 | $865/mo | $59,010 | 3.7x | 0.63% |
| Prairie County | $167,100 | $827/mo | $45,192 | 3.7x | 0.85% |
| Richland County | $259,000 | $866/mo | $69,578 | 3.7x | 0.75% |
| Wheatland County | $172,700 | $741/mo | $47,054 | 3.7x | 0.65% |
| Judith Basin County | $214,200 | $502/mo | $55,417 | 3.9x | 0.45% |
| Silver Bow County | $223,500 | $810/mo | $57,504 | 3.9x | 1.05% |
| Powell County | $255,700 | $770/mo | $63,432 | 4.0x | 0.71% |
| Deer Lodge County | $209,700 | $661/mo | $49,533 | 4.2x | 0.81% |
| Meagher County | $244,400 | $871/mo | $56,215 | 4.3x | 0.70% |
| Sweet Grass County | $295,500 | $1,073/mo | $69,426 | 4.3x | 0.49% |
| Yellowstone County | $317,600 | $1,084/mo | $74,400 | 4.3x | 0.84% |
| Stillwater County | $355,600 | $968/mo | $81,503 | 4.4x | 0.60% |
| Lewis and Clark County | $358,200 | $1,062/mo | $74,543 | 4.8x | 0.81% |
| Beaverhead County | $282,000 | $800/mo | $58,072 | 4.9x | 0.67% |
| Mineral County | $313,600 | $746/mo | $61,117 | 5.1x | 0.55% |
| Carbon County | $379,300 | $882/mo | $71,017 | 5.3x | 0.55% |
| Jefferson County | $408,000 | $886/mo | $76,576 | 5.3x | 0.56% |
| Lincoln County | $258,700 | $810/mo | $47,018 | 5.5x | 0.58% |
| Broadwater County | $364,800 | $978/mo | $63,636 | 5.7x | 0.61% |
| Missoula County | $423,100 | $1,125/mo | $71,246 | 5.9x | 0.91% |
| Lake County | $369,200 | $884/mo | $61,965 | 6.0x | 0.66% |
| Sanders County | $323,800 | $774/mo | $54,035 | 6.0x | 0.55% |
| Ravalli County | $435,000 | $1,054/mo | $71,323 | 6.1x | 0.53% |
| Granite County | $339,500 | $734/mo | $54,646 | 6.2x | 0.61% |
| Madison County | $440,500 | $1,159/mo | $67,420 | 6.5x | 0.41% |
| Park County | $429,700 | $927/mo | $66,607 | 6.5x | 0.57% |
| Flathead County | $467,700 | $1,094/mo | $71,327 | 6.6x | 0.61% |
| Gallatin County | $604,900 | $1,574/mo | $87,454 | 6.9x | 0.60% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Montana by county?
What is the typical rent in Montana by county?
Which Montana counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.