Housing decision brief
Daniels County, MT Housing Market
Daniels County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
12th lowest home value out of 56 Montana counties with data | 7th lowest rent out of 56
Median home value
$184,800
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$581/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$761/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.3x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
23.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$180/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$184,800 median home value is 22% below Montana county median
Lower rent
$581/mo is 29% below Montana county median
Rent burden below pressure line
23.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 98.2 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$55,625 median income is 16% below Montana county median
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Daniels County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $184,800 | $235,550 | $281,900 | 22% favorable22% below Montana county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $581 | $818 | $1,163 | 29% favorable29% below Montana county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $761 | $779 | $1,672 | Near state median2% below Montana county median |
Median household income | $55,625 | $65,868 | $74,755 | 16% pressure16% below Montana county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.87% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 13% favorable13% below Montana county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 23.00% | 24.00% | N/A | Near state median23.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$32,385
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$23,011
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
For renters in Daniels County, the market is affordable. Expect to pay around $588/month in gross rent, with 20.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Daniels County is $588/month, while owner costs run $758/month. Renting saves approximately $170/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $23,520/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $32,486/year. With a median household income of $58,000, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 20.0% of renter households in Daniels County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Montana, Daniels County is less affordable than Rosebud County by roughly 9% ($588/mo vs $644/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phillips County, MT | $197,600 | $536/mo | Same-state comparison near $197,600 home value and $536/mo rent. |
| Chouteau County, MT | $207,800 | $536/mo | Same-state comparison near $207,800 home value and $536/mo rent. |
| Rosebud County, MT | $182,400 | $672/mo | Same-state comparison near $182,400 home value and $672/mo rent. |
| Prairie County, MT | $165,700 | $627/mo | Same-state comparison near $165,700 home value and $627/mo rent. |
| Powder River County, MT | $192,100 | $533/mo | Same-state comparison near $192,100 home value and $533/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Daniels County
Is Daniels County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Daniels County?
How much income do you need for housing in Daniels County?
What should I double-check before moving to Daniels County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.