CostBy County

Cost of Living in Big Horn County, Montana

$697/mo
Median Monthly Rent
$143,400
Median Home Value

At a Glance

Median Monthly Rent
$697/mo
17% below state average
Median Home Value
$143,400
57% below national
Census GRAPI
17.2%
Median gross rent as % of renter income

Rent burden measured as median gross rent as a percentage of renter household income (Census ACS B25071)

Affordability Rating
Affordable
Median gross rent is under 30% of renter household income

These figures are county medians, not a personal budget. Use them to frame rent, ownership, and income tradeoffs, then account for household size, commute, financing, insurance, taxes, debt, and local availability before making a decision.

How Big Horn County Compares

Median monthly rent comparison

Big Horn County$697/mo
Montana Average$842/mo
National Median$1,413/mo

Detailed Housing Stats

$697/mo
Median Gross Rent
$143,400
Median Home Value
$554/mo
Monthly Owner Cost
17.2%
Census GRAPI

National Ranking

Affordability Rank

Big Horn County ranks #212 of 3,142 counties for affordability (top 7%)

Most AffordableLeast Affordable

Sourced county brief

Big Horn County Rent Burden and Housing Value Estimates

In Big Horn County, the official gross rent as a percentage of household income (GRAPI) was 17.2%. This measurement is 6.9 percentage points below the unweighted state county mean of 24.1%. The median gross rent in the county was $697 per month, which is below the Montana unweighted county mean of $842. The median value of owner-occupied homes was estimated at $143,400, while the unweighted state county mean was $276,877. For homeowners, the median selected monthly owner cost was $554, which is $288 below the state unweighted county mean of $842. The median renter-household income in the county was $51,000. These figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates. The rent-to-income figure provided is the official B25071 GRAPI metric and is not a derived estimate. See ACS table B25071 for the underlying estimate.

Cost of Living Advisory: Big Horn County

Affordability Verdict

ACS B25071 estimates median gross rent at 17.2% of renter household income in Big Horn County, which is below the 30% affordability benchmark. This is a median percentage among renter-occupied units, not the share of households above a threshold.

Rent vs. Own

Median gross rent is $697 per month; median selected monthly owner costs are $554. These ACS medians describe different tenure groups and are not a personalized rent-versus-buy calculation.

Income Needed

Using the common 30% budgeting benchmark, $27,880 in annual gross income would allocate 30% to the county's median gross rent. This is a reproducible illustration, not evidence that a particular household can afford housing.

Regional Context

The Montana unweighted mean of county median rents is $842 per month. Big Horn County's $697 median is 17.2% below that comparison value.

Data version acs5-2020-2024 · Method cost-advisory-v2

Affordability Calculator

See how your income compares to housing costs in Big Horn County

$

Rent Burden

14.2%

of gross income

Max Housing (28% Rule)

$1,371

per month

Owner Cost Burden

11.3%

of gross income

You can likely afford the median home in Big Horn County

Median home value is $143,400. Estimated monthly cost: $1,145 vs. your max of $1,371.

Rent Affordability Guide

Your entered rent as a share of entered income14.2%
Recommended max30.0%

Income Needed Calculator

See how much you need to earn to comfortably afford housing

$
Rent Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $58,750Needed: $27,880
Owner Cost Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $58,750Needed: $23,743
Mortgage Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $58,750Needed: $33,373

Based on the 30% rule for rent and 28% rule for housing costs (mortgage + owner costs). Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 7.2% interest, 30-year fixed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Big Horn County, Montana?
Big Horn County, Montana has a median monthly rent of $697/mo and a median home value of $143,400. The affordability rating is Affordable, with median gross rent equal to approximately 17.2% of renter household income.
What is the median rent in Big Horn County?
The median gross rent in Big Horn County is $697/mo. This is 17% below state average for Montana.
Is Big Horn County affordable?
Big Horn County is rated Affordable using the Census median gross-rent-as-a-percentage-of-income measure of 17.2%. Median gross rent is under 30% of renter household income.
How does Big Horn County's rent compare to the state average?
Big Horn County's median rent of $697/mo is 17% below state average of $842/mo for Montana.
What is the median home value in Big Horn County?
The median home value in Big Horn County, Montana is $143,400. This is 57% below the national median home value of $332,700.

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Published by the CostByCounty Editorial Team. See our methodology and corrections policy.Data build reviewed 2026-07-09; first published 2026-03-10.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2020-2024). Data is informational only and is not personalized financial advice.

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