Rent Trends / MT
Rent Trends in Montana: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 17 cities in Montana. The average across tracked cities is $1,593/month in 2026, up from $810 in 2015 (+96.7%). That sits $369 below (-18.8% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962.
Last updated: September 14, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,962 (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 ($1,962/month in June 2026, up from $1,357 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Montana has risen from about $1,449 to $1,593 (+9.9%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is -7.2% ($1,716 → $1,593).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Missoula (+97.0%, $787 → $1,550). 2 of 17 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
- Miles City — $850
- Havre — $1,092
- Anaconda — $1,110
- Laurel — $1,240
- Great Falls — $1,388
Highest 2026 rents
- Whitefish — $2,841
- Belgrade — $2,344
- Bozeman — $2,164
- Kalispell — $1,952
- Helena — $1,617
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 | $832 | $846 | $854 | $865 | $894 | $923 | $994 | $1,121 | $1,259 | $1,307 | $1,327 | $1,437 | +72.7% | |
| Missoula | $787 | $826 | $850 | $865 | $895 | $918 | $1,075 | $1,297 | $1,358 | $1,372 | $1,425 | $1,550 | +97.0% | |
| Bozeman | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,655 | $1,893 | $1,981 | $2,009 | $2,085 | $2,164 | +30.8% | |
| Great Falls | — | — | — | $785 | $806 | $815 | $893 | $1,006 | $1,196 | $1,177 | $1,268 | $1,388 | +76.8% | |
| Helena | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,407 | $1,513 | $1,617 | +14.9% | |
| Kalispell | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,783 | $1,827 | $1,952 | +9.5% | |
| Butte | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,248 | $1,266 | $1,410 | +13.0% | |
| Belgrade | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,181 | $2,261 | $2,344 | +7.5% | |
| Columbia Falls | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,586 | +0.0% | |
| Whitefish | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,473 | $2,841 | +14.9% | |
| Laurel | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,240 | +0.0% | |
| Livingston | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,406 | +0.0% | |
| Havre | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,092 | +0.0% | |
| Miles City | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $850 | +0.0% | |
| Polson | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,609 | +0.0% | |
| Anaconda | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,110 | +0.0% | |
| East Helena | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,486 | +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 17 tracked Montana cities is about $1,593/month, which is $369 below (-18.8% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962. 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 $1,962.
What city in Montana has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Miles City is the lowest at about $850/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Havre ($1,092), Anaconda ($1,110), Laurel ($1,240).
What city in Montana has the most expensive rent?
Whitefish leads our sample at about $2,841/month in 2026, followed by Belgrade ($2,344) and Bozeman ($2,164).
How much have rents in Montana changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $810 in 2015 to $1,593 in 2026 (+96.7%). 2 of 17 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Missoula (+97.0%).
Are rents in Montana still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Montana cities went from about $1,716 to $1,593 (-7.2%). Since 2023 ($1,449), that is +9.9%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.