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Meagher County, MT

Rent vs Own in Meagher County, Montana

In Meagher County the ownership stack ($1,533/mo) sits only modestly above HUD's $1,393/mo 2-bedroom rent, a thin premium, not a blowout. Small assumption changes in the calculator can flip the verdict. Owner-occupied homes: 699.

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Renting is cheaper in Meagher County

HUD's 2-bedroom rent is $1,393/mo - only a thin step below the $1,533/mo ownership stack. That is a $140/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Meagher County

Primary driver

Price and income sit in the middle band

Median household income is $71,932, for a 3.6x home-price-to-income ratio in the middle of the national distribution; property tax takes 2.4% of that income. Small changes in down payment or rate move this county across the rent-vs-own line more than they would in a high-ratio market.

Decision signal 2

HUD moved the rent benchmark up

HUD raised its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Meagher County from $1,350/mo in FY2025 to $1,393/mo in FY2026: it increased by $43/mo (+3.2%). A rising rent benchmark widens the gap in favour of owning over time, because the mortgage share of the ownership cost below is fixed at origination while the rent it is compared against reprices every year.

Decision signal 3

Renting wins, but only by a thin premium

At $259,800 for the median home and $1,725/yr in tax (0.66%), Meagher County's ownership stack (~$1,533/mo) only narrowly exceeds the $1,393/mo HUD 2-bedroom rent - a $140/mo premium. That is the band where a rate drop or a larger down payment most often flips the cash-flow verdict.

Decision signal 4

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Meagher County ranks 28 of 56 Montana counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 28 other Montana counties on this measure.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$1,533
Mortgage (P&I) $1,314
Property Tax $144
Insurance (est.) $76
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$1,393
Studio$1,044
1-Bedroom$1,087
2-Bedroom$1,393
3-Bedroom$1,925
4-Bedroom$2,252

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$71,932
$5,994/mo
Home Price / Income
3.6x
Moderate (3-5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
2.4%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

The typical mortgage-free owner in Meagher County is billed $1,500 to $1,999 annually, rather more than a single month of median two-bedroom rent nationally, the level at which buyers start budgeting the tax as its own line rather than folding it into escrow.

Returns in the $75,000 to $100,000 range dominate the deduction in Meagher County, though even in that band only about one in nine files for it nationally.

Layered on a thin rent-vs-own premium, that annual bill is often the swing factor: a paid-off owner still faces a real yearly charge even when the mortgage payment itself would have looked competitive.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Yellowstone County
Home: $349,500 Tax: $2,832/yr
Flathead County
Home: $535,500 Tax: $3,120/yr
Gallatin County
Home: $667,600 Tax: $3,933/yr
Missoula County
Home: $472,100 Tax: $4,150/yr
Cascade County
Home: $265,300 Tax: $2,320/yr
Lewis and Clark County
Home: $393,500 Tax: $3,113/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Meagher County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $1,393/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $1,208/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Meagher County, Montana? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom rent is only a thin step cheaper than owning in Meagher County (about $140/mo) on the standard 20%-down / 6.5% assumptions. A larger down payment or a rate drop often closes it; equity is still the ownership-only bonus.
How much house can you afford in Meagher County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $71,932 household here can afford up to $215,796 -- about $44,004 short of this county's $259,800 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
What is the median home price in Meagher County? ▼
$259,800, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 0.66% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
Is rent going up or down in Meagher County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has risen 3.2% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.
How does Meagher County compare to other Montana counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 56 Montana counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Meagher County lands at spot 28, roughly in the middle of the pack statewide. The <a href="/states/montana">Montana state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.

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

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →