What's a healthy ratio in Montana?

Under 3.0 is considered affordable; 3.0-4.0 moderate; 4.0-5.0 seriously unaffordable; over 5.0 severely unaffordable.

Does this account for interest rates?

No, price-to-income is rate-agnostic so it stays comparable across cycles.

What if my income is higher?

Your personal ratio matters more than the market median. Use it as a relative comparison.

Buyer authority MT

Most affordable cities for home buyers in Montana.

Affordability = how many years of household income buys the median home. This ranks Montana cities by price-to-income ratio (lower = more affordable).

Last updated September 2026

Montana ranking

25 cities ranked. Click any row for the matching local page.

#	City	Price-to-income ratio	Score
1	Browning	7.3x income	11	View →
2	Billings	7.2x income	13	View →
3	Missoula	6.7x income	21	View →
4	Great Falls	6.7x income	21	View →
5	Bozeman	6.7x income	21	View →
6	Helena	6.7x income	21	View →
7	Kalispell	6.7x income	21	View →
8	Butte	6.7x income	21	View →
9	Libby	6.3x income	29	View →
10	Belgrade	6.1x income	31	View →
11	Columbia Falls	6.2x income	31	View →
12	Hamilton	6.1x income	31	View →
13	Whitefish	6.1x income	31	View →
14	Havre	6.1x income	31	View →
15	Livingston	6.2x income	31	View →
16	Miles City	6.2x income	31	View →
17	Laurel	6.1x income	31	View →
18	Stevensville	6.2x income	31	View →
19	Polson	6.2x income	31	View →
20	Lewistown	6.1x income	31	View →
21	Anaconda	6.2x income	31	View →
22	Glendive	6.2x income	31	View →
23	Bigfork	6.1x income	31	View →
24	Dillon	6.1x income	31	View →
25	Sidney	6.2x income	31	View →

Methodology

Ratio = estimated home value ÷ average household income (Census ACS). Demographia bands (under 3.0 affordable, over 5.0 severely unaffordable) are designed around medians, so treat these as directional. Cities whose true median home value likely exceeds the dataset's modeled value (e.g. SF Bay, Manhattan) are flagged in their state pages.

FAQ

What's a healthy ratio in Montana?: Under 3.0 is considered affordable; 3.0-4.0 moderate; 4.0-5.0 seriously unaffordable; over 5.0 severely unaffordable.
Does this account for interest rates?: No, price-to-income is rate-agnostic so it stays comparable across cycles.
What if my income is higher?: Your personal ratio matters more than the market median. Use it as a relative comparison.