Last checked October 30, 2026.
At current asking rents, a single renter needs about 68% more income in Bozeman than in Lewistown; on older Census rents, the gap between the most and least expensive towns we track (Whitefish and Lewistown) is about 48%. The index sets the median Montana town we track at 100, so a town at 120 needs 20% more pre-tax income for the same basic budget.
What the index measures
Each number is the pre-tax income a single adult renting their own place needs to cover rent, utilities, a paid-off car, groceries, health insurance, a phone and modest extras, pay federal and Montana income tax and payroll taxes, and save 10%. Everything except housing and utilities is the same in every town, so the index mostly measures housing. The full budget and tax rules are on the methodology page, and you can change any line in the calculator.
There are two columns because there are two kinds of rent data. Census rents (2020–2024 surveys, utilities included) exist for almost every town but run behind today’s market. Current asking rents (averages of listing sites, 2026) are more up to date but only exist where there are enough listings. Compare towns within a column, not across columns.
Index by town
| Town | Region | Index, Census rent basis | Income needed, Census basis | Index, asking-rent basis | Income needed, asking basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitefish | Northwest | 127 | $46,945 | 107 | $53,068 |
| Bozeman | Yellowstone Country | 125 | $46,269 | 121 | $60,325 |
| Belgrade | Yellowstone Country | 112 | $41,315 | 105 | $52,063 |
| West Yellowstone | Yellowstone Country | 112 | $41,315 | — | — |
| Missoula | Northwest | 111 | $40,913 | 100 | $49,760 |
| Columbia Falls | Northwest | 110 | $40,767 | 105 | $52,081 |
| Hamilton | Northwest | 107 | $39,505 | — | — |
| Sidney | Northeast | 106 | $39,213 | — | — |
| Livingston | Yellowstone Country | 105 | $38,920 | — | — |
| Polson | Northwest | 105 | $38,866 | — | — |
| Billings | Southeast | 105 | $38,774 | 94 | $46,744 |
| Helena | Southwest | 104 | $38,336 | 103 | $51,222 |
| Glasgow | Northeast | 100 | $36,910 | — | — |
| Laurel | Southeast | 99 | $36,617 | — | — |
| Kalispell | Northwest | 97 | $35,685 | 101 | $50,089 |
| Anaconda | Southwest | 95 | $34,917 | 85 | $42,229 |
| Butte | Southwest | 95 | $34,899 | 87 | $43,527 |
| Great Falls | Central | 94 | $34,552 | 95 | $47,457 |
| Miles City | Southeast | 93 | $34,424 | 75 | $37,312 |
| Dillon | Southwest | 93 | $34,369 | — | — |
| Red Lodge | Yellowstone Country | 91 | $33,528 | — | — |
| Havre | Central | 91 | $33,510 | 81 | $40,255 |
| Wolf Point | Northeast | 90 | $33,382 | — | — |
| Glendive | Northeast | 86 | $31,883 | — | — |
| Lewistown | Central | 86 | $31,755 | 72 | $35,996 |
| Big Sky | Yellowstone Country | — | — | 120 | $59,795 |
Base (100): Census basis $36,910, the median of 25 towns; asking basis $49,760, the median of 15 towns. Big Sky has no reliable Census rent, so it appears only on the asking basis. Our calculation; rent sources are listed on each town page.
What it leaves out
- Buying a home. Prices vary far more than rents: see home prices by town and the rent vs. buy calculator.
- Resort taxes of 4% in Big Sky, West Yellowstone and Red Lodge and 3% in Whitefish and Columbia Falls, which apply to lodging, restaurant meals and some other purchases. See sales and resort taxes.
- Differences in grocery, gas and health insurance prices between towns, for which there’s no reliable town-level data.
- Pay. A town with a higher index may also pay more: see wages in Montana.
We’ll update the index when rents or tax rules change. It isn’t yet published monthly.