LivabilityCalc
Find Your City
City Housing Verdict

Bozeman, MT

High Pressure

Living in Bozeman, MT costs about 35% more than the national average (Cost Index: 135). Housing is the main driver — the typical home value of $614,900 is well above the $303,400 US median. The local median household income is $79,903, which helps frame the place-side housing burden.

Bozeman already reads as a high-pressure housing market, with 24% rent burden, 7.7x home-price-to-income, and a housing index of 203. Treat this page as a stress test for rent, mortgage, and tax burden before assuming the move works.Data Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 · BEA RPP 2023 · Zillow ZHVI

Data Updated: March 2026
Housing Feasibility Verdict
Stretch

Based on your household income, housing mode, local rent, home value, property tax, and mortgage assumptions for Bozeman.

Monthly Housing
$1,611/mo
Lower of rent or buy scenario
Housing Burden
24%
Healthy
Residual Cash
$4,548/mo
After housing and debt · $1,516/person
Rent vs Buy
Rent first
Main pressure: home prices
Assumptions
Housing Mode
Confidence: MediumHome source: ACSRent source: ACSBEA proxy: msaHousehold size: 3Down payment: 20%Fixed burden: 32%
Uses a URL fragment, so it does not create a separate indexed page.
Cost Index
135
Very Expensive
Based on housing costs · See methodology
Median Home Value
$614,900
Source: Census ACS
National: $303,400
Median Rent
$1,611/mo
Source: Census ACS
National: $1,348/mo
Household Income
$79,903
National: $78,538
Population
55,042
Purchasing Power
75
100 = national baseline

Cost of Living Breakdown

Each index uses 100 as the US national average. A score of 150 means 50% more expensive; 80 means 20% cheaper.

Housing Cost Index
203 / 100
~2.0x more expensive
Rent Index
120 / 100
20% above average
Goods & Groceries
96 / 100
About the same as most US cities
Utilities
74 / 100
26% lower utility bills
Healthcare & Services
99 / 100
In line with national average
Overall Index
135
Very Expensive · 35% above average

Bozeman Mortgage Calculator

Pre-filled with the local median home value of $614,900 and Montana's property tax rate of 0.74%.

Household Housing Budget

Local median household income is shown only as a place-side affordability input. Personal salary, filing status, and take-home pay analysis belong in salary.city.

Local Household Income
$79,903
Census ACS place context
Rent Burden Estimate
24%
Typical annual rent / local household income
Home Price to Income
7.7x
Typical home value / local household income
Use this section to judge whether Bozeman looks structurally manageable for a household budget. For a specific job offer, filing status, payroll taxes, or salary equivalence across cities, run the income-side decision in salary.city.

Property Tax in Bozeman, MT

Est. Annual Property Tax
$4,550
Monthly Impact
$379
Added to your mortgage
Effective Rate
0.74%
National avg: ~1.00%

Montana Place Tax Context

Tax TypeMontanaNational Avg
Property Tax Rate0.74%1.00%
Top Income Tax Rate5.9%~5.0%
State Sales TaxNo Sales Tax~5.0%

Compare Bozeman to Another City

Compare place-side costs such as housing, rent, groceries, utilities, services, and tax context.

Cost of Living Comparison

Compare place-side housing, rent, goods, services, and utility pressure between cities.

Bozeman, MT
135
120
Loading cities...
---
---

Cost Index Comparison (100 = National Avg)

Housing CostsNational Avg: 100
Bozeman, MT: 203
Rent Prices
120

FAQ: Living in Bozeman

Is Bozeman, MT an expensive place to live?+

Yes — Bozeman is about 35% more expensive than the national average, with an overall Cost Index of 135. Housing is the biggest factor: the typical home here is valued around $614,900, and monthly rents average roughly $1,611. Day-to-day costs like groceries and utilities tend to run closer to the national norm.

How does Bozeman fit a household housing budget?+

Start with housing. Typical monthly rent is $1,611, while local median household income is $79,903. That implies a rent-burden proxy of about 24% before utilities and other costs. For a specific job offer, filing status, or take-home pay scenario, use salary.city.

How much are taxes in Bozeman, MT?+

Montana has a progressive state income tax with a top rate of 5.9%. The effective property tax rate is 0.74%. On a home worth $614,900, that translates to roughly $4,550 per year in property taxes. There is no state sales tax.

How much does it cost to rent in Bozeman, MT?+

The typical monthly rent in Bozeman is around $1,611. That's about 20% higher than the $1,348 national median. For comparison, the median home value here is $614,900, so buyers should also factor in mortgage payments, property taxes, and insurance.

How much does a house cost in Bozeman, MT?+

The median home in Bozeman is valued at $614,900. With 20% down and a 6.5% mortgage rate, you'd be looking at roughly $3,109/month for principal and interest alone — before property taxes and insurance. About 45% of residents here own their homes.

Are groceries and utilities expensive in Bozeman?+

Grocery prices in Bozeman are about average compared to the rest of the US (index: 96, where 100 is the national average). Utility bills (electricity, gas, water) are below average (index: 74). Overall, these everyday costs shouldn't cause major surprises if you're moving from another similarly-sized US city.

What is Bozeman, MT like to live in?+

Bozeman is a smaller city with a population of about 55,042. The median age of residents is 28.6, skewing younger — often a sign of a college town or fast-growing area. The local poverty rate is 14.83%, near the national average of 12.4%.

Lower-Pressure Alternatives in Montana

If Bozeman feels tight, start with these same-state cities that look easier on rent burden or buy-side pressure.

Higher-Pressure Comparisons in Montana

Use these city pages when you want to compare Bozeman against tougher same-state markets before deciding whether the current city is already a stretch.

LC
Reviewed by LivabilityCalc Research Team
Financial Data Analysts · Census & Economic Data Specialists
Data Sources & Methodology
  • Real Estate & Housing: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI, Smoothed & Seasonally Adjusted) and Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI). Structural fallback utilizes U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates.
  • Goods, Utilities & Services: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Metropolitan Area Regional Price Parities (MARPP), incorporating verified State Nonmetropolitan averages.
  • Mortgage Rates: Freddie Mac 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States (PMMS) via Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED).
  • Tax Context: State-level property, sales, and income-tax context used for place-side relocation planning. Personal take-home pay and offer analysis are handled by salary.city.
  • Index Methodology: Weighting matrix derived from Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CEX) distributional models. Baseline standardized at 100. (Read methodology details)
Last data update: March 2026 · Mortgage rates updated monthly