Housing decision brief
Gallatin County, MT Housing Market
Gallatin County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, 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.
56th lowest home value out of 56 Montana counties with data | 56th lowest rent out of 56
Median home value
$604,900
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,574/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,610/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
6.9x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
29.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$36/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Rent burden below pressure line
29.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
What to Check
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
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- 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 Gallatin 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. | $604,900 | $214,750 | $281,900 | 182% pressure182% above Montana county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,574 | $801 | $1,163 | 97% pressure97% above Montana county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,610 | $777 | $1,672 | 107% pressure107% above Montana county median |
Median household income | $87,454 | $61,858 | $74,755 | 41% favorable41% above Montana county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.60% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 40% favorable40% below Montana county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 29.00% | 24.00% | N/A | 21% pressure29.00% 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
+$24,494
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$18,454
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Gallatin County is affordable. The median rent is $1,574/month against a median household income of $87,454, putting rent at 21.6% of income.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Gallatin County is $1,574/month, while owner costs run $1,610/month. Renting saves approximately $36/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $62,960/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $69,000/year. With a median household income of $87,454, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 29.0% of renter households in Gallatin County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Montana, Gallatin County is more affordable than Madison County by roughly 36% ($1,574/mo vs $1,159/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County, NV | $587,400 | $1,545/mo | Out-of-state peer near $587,400 home value and $1,545/mo rent. |
| Nevada County, CA | $602,800 | $1,635/mo | Out-of-state peer near $602,800 home value and $1,635/mo rent. |
| Deschutes County, OR | $596,000 | $1,674/mo | Out-of-state peer near $596,000 home value and $1,674/mo rent. |
| Barnstable County, MA | $575,900 | $1,596/mo | Out-of-state peer near $575,900 home value and $1,596/mo rent. |
| Yolo County, CA | $593,800 | $1,757/mo | Out-of-state peer near $593,800 home value and $1,757/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Gallatin County
Is Gallatin County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Gallatin County?
How much income do you need for housing in Gallatin County?
What should I double-check before moving to Gallatin County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.