How Expensive Is It To Live In Montana?

One of the biggest talking points you hear people across Montana talk about lately is just how unaffordable living here has become.

It's not just a feeling residents have either; it's a proven fact that Montana has become the most unaffordable state in America.

READ NEXT: Most Montanans Can’t Afford A Home Under The Big Sky

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Wait, So Is Montana Expensive And Unaffordable?

Recently the website Stateline said Montana is the most unaffordable state for home ownership in America, but another website seems to say otherwise.

Lending Tree took a look at what are called "micropolitans," cities with a population between 10,000 and 50,000.

They say the prices of homes in those sized cities rival the home prices you'd find in major metropolitan areas, yet not one of those cities are here in Montana.

READ MORE: Fastest Growing Home Prices Under The Big Sky

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Some Montana Cities Just Missed The Cut

Since they only looked at cities whose population was between 10,000 and 50,000, that left off places like Bozeman (58,459) and Whitefish (9,599), which many people point to as part of the problem when it comes to housing being unaffordable in Montana.

That still leaves the following eligible cities: Butte (36,077), Helena (35,204), Kalispell (31,540), and Belgrade (13,115).

Color me shocked that Kalispell isn't considered one of the most expensive "micropolitan" cities in America, especially when it's the fastest-growing city in Montana.

Belgrade and Helena both are also surprising when you see that according to Zillow, both markets have seen housing costs rise by almost 4% over the last year.

So what cities did make the Lending Trees list? Check out the 25 most expensive "micropolitans" in the gallery below.

25 Most Expensive Towns in America In 2024 Revealed

According to Lending Tree, these are the 50 most expensive "towns" in 2024. Towns in this case are defined as cities with populations between 10,000-50,000.

Gallery Credit: Michelle Heart

KEEP READING: The Truth About The Housing Market In America

A recent article in Business Insider highlighted the perceived value of housing across America as being either overvalued or undervalued. States are listed in order of most overvalued.

Gallery Credit: Nick Northern

LOOK: States with the highest average cost of living

These are the top 20 states across the country, including the nation's capital, where the average cost of living is the highest, according to data compiled by the Missouri Economic Research & Information Center. The average cost of living index is 100, which indicates the national average of all 50 states. The index includes cost factors such as groceries, housing, utilities, healthcare, transportation, and more. All states listed below are above that baseline.

Gallery Credit: Mike Brant

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