State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS

Montana: County Rent Burden

How much of household income goes to rent in each Montana county, FY 2026.

26%
State avg 2BR burden
5
Counties over 30% (of 56)
0
Severely burdened (>50%)

What rent burden reveals about Montana

Rent burden measures the share of household income going to rent. The federal standard, used by HUD and the Census Bureau, flags any household paying more than 30% of gross income on rent as "cost-burdened" and any household above 50% as "severely cost-burdened." This page calculates county-level burden by dividing HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom, by Census-reported median household income for each county in Montana. Across the 56 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 26%, compared with a national average of 21.7% - meaning Montana sits 4.3 percentage points higher than the US benchmark.

The distribution matters more than the state average. In Montana, 5 of 56 counties (9%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Prairie County at 41.1%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,548 eats that share of the local median income of $45,192. Because HUD's FMR sits at the 40th percentile of gross rents, this calculation understates the reality faced by renters paying market-rate: many higher-quality units in each county rent well above FMR, pushing actual burden rates even higher than the numbers shown below.

Burden data has direct policy stakes. High-burden counties see stronger demand for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (which cap tenant contribution at 30% of adjusted income and cover the gap up to FMR) and for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units, both of which rely on HUD's FMR as the foundational input. High burden also correlates with longer waitlists for public housing and greater housing instability, eviction filings, doubling up, and homelessness all rise in counties above the 50% threshold. Pair this page with the cheapest-counties ranking and year-over-year rent growth to see which Montana counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between Montana and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.

State Avg Burden
26%
National Avg
21.7%
Counties > 30%
5
of 56
Severely Burdened
0
> 50% of income

All Counties by Rent Burden

# County 1 BR Rent 2 BR Rent 1 BR Burden 2 BR Burden
1 Prairie County $1,208 $1,548 32.1% 41.1%
2 Glacier County $1,033 $1,275 27.5% 33.9%
3 Broadwater County $1,595 $1,748 30.1% 33%
4 Petroleum County $1,208 $1,548 24.4% 31.3%
5 Custer County $1,226 $1,608 23.1% 30.3%
6 Lincoln County $1,067 $1,170 27.2% 29.9%
7 Meagher County $1,087 $1,393 23.2% 29.7%
8 Gallatin County $1,642 $2,154 22.5% 29.6%
9 Silver Bow County $1,149 $1,414 24% 29.5%
10 Fergus County $1,102 $1,446 22.1% 29.1%
11 Park County $1,385 $1,605 25% 28.9%
12 Wibaux County $1,208 $1,548 22.4% 28.7%
13 Carter County $1,002 $1,244 23% 28.6%
14 Wheatland County $872 $1,117 22.2% 28.5%
15 Flathead County $1,289 $1,691 21.7% 28.4%
16 Hill County $1,069 $1,307 23.2% 28.4%
17 Pondera County $1,144 $1,254 25.7% 28.1%
18 Golden Valley County $1,045 $1,339 21.9% 28%
19 Lake County $1,104 $1,444 21.4% 28%
20 Missoula County $1,400 $1,655 23.6% 27.9%
21 Big Horn County $992 $1,302 21% 27.6%
22 Chouteau County $996 $1,307 21% 27.6%
23 Toole County $1,052 $1,230 23.5% 27.5%
24 Madison County $1,202 $1,540 21.4% 27.4%
25 Musselshell County $1,226 $1,344 24.9% 27.3%
26 Roosevelt County $915 $1,201 20.7% 27.1%
27 Mineral County $1,083 $1,361 21.3% 26.7%
28 Lewis and Clark County $1,319 $1,647 21.2% 26.5%
29 Deer Lodge County $985 $1,080 23.9% 26.2%
30 McCone County $1,208 $1,548 20.2% 25.9%
31 Treasure County $1,208 $1,548 19.8% 25.4%
32 Rosebud County $993 $1,186 21.1% 25.2%
33 Judith Basin County $905 $1,160 19.6% 25.1%
34 Sanders County $878 $1,115 19.5% 24.8%
35 Teton County $1,241 $1,360 22% 24.1%
36 Carbon County $1,109 $1,417 18.7% 23.9%
37 Ravalli County $1,145 $1,423 19.3% 23.9%
38 Cascade County $979 $1,284 17.7% 23.3%
39 Fallon County $1,093 $1,401 18.1% 23.3%
40 Liberty County $807 $1,034 18.2% 23.3%
41 Granite County $822 $1,053 18.1% 23.1%
42 Yellowstone County $1,109 $1,417 17.9% 22.9%
43 Sheridan County $923 $1,211 17.4% 22.8%
44 Richland County $1,197 $1,312 20.6% 22.6%
45 Valley County $915 $1,200 17% 22.3%
46 Beaverhead County $978 $1,072 20.2% 22.2%
47 Jefferson County $1,070 $1,404 16.8% 22%
48 Blaine County $902 $1,184 16.6% 21.8%
49 Garfield County $858 $1,099 16.7% 21.4%
50 Powell County $884 $1,133 16.7% 21.4%
51 Daniels County $900 $1,023 18.6% 21.2%
52 Dawson County $956 $1,254 16.2% 21.2%
53 Sweet Grass County $918 $1,176 15.9% 20.3%
54 Phillips County $888 $973 18.3% 20.1%
55 Stillwater County $958 $1,257 14.1% 18.5%
56 Powder River County $800 $1,025 14.1% 18.1%
National burden rankings → All Montana rents → Cheapest counties →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent burden in Montana? ▼
The average 2-bedroom rent burden in Montana is 26% of household income. 5 of 56 counties exceed the 30% affordability threshold.
Which counties in Montana are most rent burdened? ▼
The most rent-burdened county is Prairie County at 41.1% of income. No counties exceed the 50% severe burden threshold.
How does Montana compare to the national average? ▼
Montana's average rent burden is 26% vs the national average of 21.7%. That's 4.3 percentage points higher than average.

Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.

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