Rent Trends / MT
Rent Trends in Montana: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 15 cities in Montana. The average across tracked cities is $1,596/month in 2026, up from $820 in 2015 (+94.6%). That sits $369 below (-18.8% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965.
Last updated: July 19, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,965 (June 2026)
What the Montana rent trend shows
This page follows market rents in Montana from 2015 through mid-2026 using the same Zillow ZORI vintage for every city in the table. State figures below are simple averages of the tracked cities — useful for comparing places inside Montana and stacking the state against the published U.S. typical rent ($1,965/month in June 2026, up from $1,362 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Montana has risen from about $1,467 to $1,596 (+8.8%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is -6.4% ($1,705 → $1,596).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Missoula (+97.2%, $786 → $1,550). 2 of 15 tracked cities are higher than their 2015 (or earliest) level.
For the national rent story, see the Rent Index. Statewide maps live on Rent by State. Full city database: Rent by City.
City-level breakdown in Montana
Lowest 2026 rents
- Havre — $988
- Anaconda — $1,140
- Sidney — $1,205
- Laurel — $1,286
- Butte — $1,314
Highest 2026 rents
- Whitefish — $2,712
- Bozeman — $2,227
- Belgrade — $2,188
- Kalispell — $1,852
- Helena — $1,663
Full list with every year from 2015–2026 is in the sortable table below.
All Montana cities — yearly rent table
| City | Metro | '15 | '16 | '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25 | '26 | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billings | $853 | $866 | $875 | $886 | $916 | $944 | $1,018 | $1,148 | $1,287 | $1,337 | $1,358 | $1,458 | +70.9% | |
| Missoula | $786 | $825 | $849 | $866 | $895 | $918 | $1,075 | $1,297 | $1,364 | $1,371 | $1,426 | $1,550 | +97.2% | |
| Bozeman | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,699 | $1,942 | $2,036 | $2,063 | $2,147 | $2,227 | +31.1% | |
| Great Falls | — | — | — | $775 | $796 | $805 | $882 | $995 | $1,182 | $1,164 | $1,253 | $1,367 | +76.4% | |
| Helena | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,475 | $1,585 | $1,663 | +12.7% | |
| Kalispell | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,717 | $1,753 | $1,852 | +7.9% | |
| Butte | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,180 | $1,194 | $1,314 | +11.4% | |
| Belgrade | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,067 | $2,143 | $2,188 | +5.9% | |
| Whitefish | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,490 | $2,712 | +8.9% | |
| Laurel | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,286 | +0.0% | |
| Livingston | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,339 | +0.0% | |
| Havre | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $988 | +0.0% | |
| Polson | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,650 | +0.0% | |
| Sidney | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,205 | +0.0% | |
| Anaconda | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,140 | +0.0% |
Click any column header to sort · % Chg uses earliest available year → 2026
Frequently asked questions — Montana rent
Is Montana cheap to rent in 2026?
Yes — relative to the national market. The average rent across 15 tracked Montana cities is about $1,596/month, which is $369 below (-18.8% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965. That is a city-average in our sample, not a single statewide ZORI print, but it is a clear signal that Montana screens cheaper than the U.S. typical $1,965.
What city in Montana has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Havre is the lowest at about $988/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Anaconda ($1,140), Sidney ($1,205), Laurel ($1,286).
What city in Montana has the most expensive rent?
Whitefish leads our sample at about $2,712/month in 2026, followed by Bozeman ($2,227) and Belgrade ($2,188).
How much have rents in Montana changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $820 in 2015 to $1,596 in 2026 (+94.6%). 2 of 15 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Missoula (+97.2%).
Are rents in Montana still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Montana cities went from about $1,705 to $1,596 (-6.4%). Since 2023 ($1,467), that is +8.8%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.