Last checked October 29, 2026.
West Yellowstone, at the park’s west entrance, has a 4% resort tax and a tight year-round rental market: a single adult needs about $41,300 a year at the Census median rent.
At a glance
| Population | 1,474 (Census ACS 2020–2024) |
| Region | Yellowstone Country, Gallatin County |
| Median rent paid, Census | $1,046 for a 1-bedroom (utilities included; 2020–2024 average) |
| Median home value, Census | $504,300 (2020–2024) |
| Income needed, own 1-bedroom | $41,315 at the Census median 1-bedroom rent |
| Electric and gas | Fall River Electric Cooperative; a small natural gas system serves the town (operated by Energy West in the latest state report we found) |
| Resort tax | 4% on luxury goods and services, lodging and restaurants |
| Hospital / airport | Clinic in town; nearest hospital is Big Sky Medical Center / Yellowstone Airport (WYS), seasonal flights |
Rent
The major rental listing sites don’t publish averages for West Yellowstone, so we rely on Census figures here.
The Census American Community Survey puts the median rent actually paid in West Yellowstone at $1,046 for a 1-bedroom, including utilities (Census ACS 2020–2024). That’s an average over five years and includes long-time tenants, so it runs below what a new renter is quoted today. West Yellowstone is small, so its Census figures have wide margins of error (about 30% for rent); the median household income is too uncertain to show.
Monthly budget, own 1-bedroom
| Rent (Census median 1-bedroom rent, utilities included) | $1,046 |
| Car, paid off | $441 |
| Groceries, health premium, phone and internet, eating out, renters insurance, other | $1,018 |
| Total | $2,505 |
| Salary needed with 10% saved, after taxes | $41,315 ($19.86 an hour) |
Same budget as our salary calculator; the car and other lines are explained there. Listing sites don’t publish West Yellowstone averages. Redfin’s median rests on a single sale, so we haven’t used it.
Recent news
- A town housing study found a need for 40 to 60 year-round units and estimated that a worker earning $45,000 can afford about $1,125 a month (Town of West Yellowstone, Jan 2026).