Last updated October 29, 2026.
Every figure on this site links to where it came from and carries the date we last checked it. If we can’t link to a number, we don’t publish it.
Where the numbers come from
- When a government agency sets the price, we use that agency. Income tax and property tax rates come from the Montana Department of Revenue. The minimum wage comes from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. Utility rates come from the utilities’ approved tariffs and the Montana Public Service Commission.
- When the market sets the price, we use data providers and federal surveys. Rent comes from Zumper, RentCafe, Zillow and similar services. Home values come from Zillow and Redfin. Wages come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Food budgets come from the USDA food plans.
- When sources disagree, we show both and explain why they might differ, for example asking rents versus what current tenants pay.
Small towns
Rental listing sites have plenty of data for Bozeman, Missoula and Billings, but very little for most of Montana’s small towns. Where listing data is thin, we use the Census American Community Survey: the median rent tenants actually paid over five years (2020–2024), which includes utilities and usually runs below current asking rents. We use the 1-bedroom figure when its margin of error is 30% or less, the all-units median when it isn’t, and we flag figures too uncertain to use. Every town and county page says which basis it uses. A figure based on only a handful of listings isn’t a reliable median, so we don’t publish one.
Two ways we measure “income needed”
- The 30% rule: the gross income at which rent takes no more than 30% of pay (yearly rent ÷ 0.30). It’s simple and common, but in cheaper towns it understates what you need (a car and groceries cost about the same everywhere), and in expensive ones it overstates it.
- A full budget: rent, utilities and heating, groceries, a car, health insurance, phone and internet, plus 10% saved, grossed up for 2026 federal tax, Montana income tax, and Social Security and Medicare. This is the measure our salary calculator uses.
Every income figure says which method it uses.
What we leave out
We don’t publish crime rates or school ratings, and we don’t label towns “safe” or “family-friendly.” Those depend on what matters to you, and other sources cover them better.
How often we update
| Figure | When we update it |
|---|---|
| Tax rates, minimum wage | When they change, usually January 1; the minimum wage for the coming year is usually announced around September 30 |
| Utility rates | When the Public Service Commission approves a change |
| Rent and home values in larger towns | Quarterly |
| HUD Fair Market Rents | Yearly, when HUD publishes the new fiscal year |
| Any page | Sources rechecked and the date updated whenever we revisit it |
Corrections and independence
When we get something wrong, we fix it and note the correction and its date at the bottom of the page. If you spot a number that has changed, tell us. No one can pay to change a number on this site. Anything sponsored will be clearly labeled, and sponsors get no say over the data.