States › Montana › Hamilton

Is Hamilton, MT expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 26 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,16034% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$53,067about $4,422/month · 39% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$310,0007% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 78% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 5.8 years of household income. Commutes are short, about 12.2 minutes.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $46,400 a year. That is $22 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other Montana cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of Montana. It is number 10 of 27 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Hamilton
$1,160
Helena Valley Northwest
$1,700
Polson
$863
Bigfork
$1,077
Orchard Homes
$1,060
Columbia Falls
$1,646
Four Corners
$1,419

How much do households earn in Hamilton?

Under $25k
17.7%
$25k–50k
39.0%
$50k–100k
28.6%
$100k–150k
5.7%
$150k+
5.3%

Share of households by yearly income. 11.1% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Hamilton

SizeHamiltonU.S. average
1 bedroom$690$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,157$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,049$1,698

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Hamilton overall?

Everyday prices in Montana overall are 5% below the U.S. average (index 94.6, U.S. = 100).

Housing
85
Goods (food, clothes…)
96
Utilities
72
Other services
99
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Hamilton, so the Montana figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Hamilton

🏛️ Property tax$2,304a year · 0.74% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$98a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Hamilton

Commute to work12.2 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree30.8%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home55.7%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line8.8%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment2%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Hamilton?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $991 a month less.

Renting
$1,160
Owning
$2,151

Owning assumes a typical $310,000 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $31,000 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Hamilton, MT?

Renting in Hamilton costs a median of about $1,160 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Montana median is $1,260.

How much do I need to make to live in Hamilton?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $46,400 a year, or $22 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Hamilton cheap or expensive?

Hamilton is rated OK: rent takes 26.2% of the typical household income of $53,067. It ranks 10th cheapest of 27 Montana cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Hamilton?

The median homeowner in Hamilton pays $2,304 a year in property taxes, about 0.74% of the median home value.

Is Hamilton more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in Montana are 5% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Hamilton?

The median home value in Hamilton is $310,000, about 5.8 times the typical yearly household income.

5,101 people live in Hamilton. Numbers are typical (middle) values.