State FMR profile · HUD FY2026

Fair Market Rents in Montana

The average 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Montana is $1,076/mo — 12% above the US average.

$1,076
Avg 1BR FMR
56
Counties
5
Metro areas

The verdict

Montana's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,336 — 14% above the US average, the 22nd highest of 51 states.

#22
most expensive of 51 states (2BR)
+14%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$53,440
income to afford it (30% rule)
105%
gap, cheapest→priciest county

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents for 56 counties and 5 metro areas in MT. Verify with HUD →

What these rents mean for Montana

Across Montana's 56 counties and 5 metro areas, HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents average $988 for a studio, $1,076 for a 1-bedroom, $1,336 for a 2-bedroom, $1,789 for a 3-bedroom, and $2,113 for a 4-bedroom. FMR is set at the county or metro FMR area level — not statewide — so the numbers above are the arithmetic average of every FMR area inside MT, weighted equally. Local housing authorities use each county's or metro's FMR (not the state average) to calibrate Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, typically ranging from 90% to 110% of FMR.

Benchmarked against the rest of the country, Montana's average 1-bedroom FMR of $1,076 is 12% above the US average of $959. Inside the state, rents are not uniform — the cheapest 1-bedroom FMR is in Powder River County at $800, while the most expensive is in Gallatin County at $1,642, a spread of roughly 105% between the lowest- and highest-cost counties. That intra-state dispersion is why urban voucher recipients, families relocating for jobs, and landlords setting Section 8 rents all need to check the specific FMR area rather than rely on a statewide figure.

For affordability, the 30% rule implies a household income of $43,040 per year (about $3,587/month) to afford Montana's average 1-bedroom at $1,076. The ratio of FMR to local wages determines how many households are rent-burdened. Pair these rent figures with Montana's rent burden rankings and year-over-year rent growth pages to see which counties are tightening fastest and which remain comparatively affordable.

Where Montana sits among all 50 states + DC

Average 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. every US state

$1,336 Top 43% higher than 57% of 51 states

$900–$1,000: 11 states (22%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,100: 7 states (14%). Below this entry. $1,100–$1,200: 8 states (16%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,300: 2 states (4%). Below this entry. $1,300–$1,400: 3 states (6%). This entry sits in this band. $1,400–$1,500: 8 states (16%). Above this entry. $1,500–$1,600: 3 states (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,700: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,700–$1,800: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,800–$1,900: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,900–$2,000: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,100: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,100–$2,200: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,300: 2 states (4%). Above this entry. $2,300–$2,400: 0 states (0%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,500: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. MT $900 $2,500 every US state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.1K-wide band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — Fair Market Rents · FY2026

State Average vs National Average

Studio
$988
+11% vs US avg
1 BR
$1,076
+12% vs US avg
2 BR
$1,336
+14% vs US avg
3 BR
$1,789
+17% vs US avg
4 BR
$2,113
+20% vs US avg

Most expensive counties in Montana by 1-bedroom FMR

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent — the highest-cost 10 of 56 MT counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Inside MT, 1-bedroom FMR runs from $800 in Powder River County to $1,642 in Gallatin County.

Source HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau ACS data As of FY2026

Cheapest Counties

Lowest FMR rental costs →

Most Expensive Counties

Highest FMR rental costs →

Rent Burden

% of income spent on rent →

Rent Growth

YoY rent trends by county →

Metro areas in Montana

Each metro FMR area applies one rent schedule across all its counties, ranked here by 1-bedroom FMR.

# Metro area Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 Bozeman, MT MSA $1,485$1,642$2,154$2,996$3,537
2 Broadwater County, MT HUD Metro FMR Area $1,240$1,595$1,748$2,096$2,856
3 Billings, MT HUD Metro FMR Area $1,016$1,109$1,417$1,951$2,216
4 Mineral County, MT HUD Metro FMR Area $941$1,083$1,361$1,632$1,915
5 Great Falls, MT MSA $960$979$1,284$1,786$2,035

Counties in Montana, ranked by rent (56)

All 56 counties with a published FY2026 Fair Market Rent, highest 1-bedroom first.

# County Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 Gallatin County $1,485$1,642$2,154$2,996$3,537
2 Broadwater County $1,240$1,595$1,748$2,096$2,856
3 Missoula County $1,143$1,400$1,655$2,302$2,776
4 Park County $1,107$1,385$1,605$2,232$2,692
5 Lewis and Clark County $1,136$1,319$1,647$2,250$2,496
6 Flathead County $1,267$1,289$1,691$2,224$2,837
7 Teton County $1,019$1,241$1,360$1,891$2,171
8 Custer County $1,109$1,226$1,608$2,154$2,322
9 Musselshell County $1,007$1,226$1,344$1,869$2,255
10 McCone County $1,160$1,208$1,548$2,139$2,503
11 Petroleum County $1,160$1,208$1,548$2,139$2,503
12 Prairie County $1,160$1,208$1,548$2,139$2,503
13 Treasure County $1,160$1,208$1,548$2,139$2,503
14 Wibaux County $1,160$1,208$1,548$2,139$2,503
15 Madison County $1,154$1,202$1,540$2,073$2,583
16 Richland County $1,143$1,197$1,312$1,573$2,201
17 Silver Bow County $1,028$1,149$1,414$1,967$2,180
18 Ravalli County $1,116$1,145$1,423$1,979$2,387
19 Pondera County $940$1,144$1,254$1,619$1,892
20 Carbon County $1,016$1,109$1,417$1,951$2,216
21 Yellowstone County $1,016$1,109$1,417$1,951$2,216
22 Lake County $1,097$1,104$1,444$1,865$1,990
23 Fergus County $1,084$1,102$1,446$1,991$2,338
24 Fallon County $1,050$1,093$1,401$1,936$2,265
25 Meagher County $1,044$1,087$1,393$1,925$2,252
26 Mineral County $941$1,083$1,361$1,632$1,915
27 Jefferson County $968$1,070$1,404$1,946$1,954
28 Hill County $980$1,069$1,307$1,724$1,731
29 Lincoln County $919$1,067$1,170$1,627$1,892
30 Toole County $918$1,052$1,230$1,702$1,712
31 Golden Valley County $1,004$1,045$1,339$1,862$2,165
32 Glacier County $956$1,033$1,275$1,529$1,836
33 Carter County $932$1,002$1,244$1,492$2,011
34 Chouteau County $980$996$1,307$1,662$1,950
35 Rosebud County $889$993$1,186$1,649$1,990
36 Big Horn County $976$992$1,302$1,657$2,115
37 Deer Lodge County $809$985$1,080$1,502$1,812
38 Cascade County $960$979$1,284$1,786$2,035
39 Beaverhead County $803$978$1,072$1,491$1,798
40 Stillwater County $884$958$1,257$1,748$2,109
41 Dawson County $940$956$1,254$1,504$1,942
42 Sheridan County $908$923$1,211$1,684$1,809
43 Sweet Grass County $881$918$1,176$1,551$1,638
44 Roosevelt County $909$915$1,201$1,440$1,942
45 Valley County $899$915$1,200$1,566$1,753
46 Judith Basin County $869$905$1,160$1,583$1,875
47 Blaine County $887$902$1,184$1,420$1,914
48 Daniels County $767$900$1,023$1,414$1,654
49 Phillips County $729$888$973$1,353$1,573
50 Powell County $849$884$1,133$1,576$1,832
51 Sanders County $769$878$1,115$1,337$1,803
52 Wheatland County $837$872$1,117$1,553$1,806
53 Garfield County $824$858$1,099$1,349$1,777
54 Granite County $789$822$1,053$1,464$1,702
55 Liberty County $775$807$1,034$1,438$1,672
56 Powder River County $768$800$1,025$1,426$1,657

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Montana? ▼
The average FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Montana is $1,076 per month. A 2-bedroom averages $1,336.
How does Montana rent compare to the national average? ▼
Montana rents are 12% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here averages $1,076 vs $959 nationally.
Where is the cheapest rent in Montana? ▼
The most affordable county is Powder River County with a 1-bedroom FMR of $800. The most expensive is Gallatin County at $1,642.
What income do I need to afford rent in Montana? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need at least $43,040/year ($3,587/month) to afford the average 1-bedroom FMR in Montana.

Explore Montana rent data

Rent burden → Rent growth → Cheapest counties → Most expensive counties → National rent-burden rankings → Affordability calculator →

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
Data sourced from HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau ACS data. See our methodology for details. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rent data (huduser.gov).