Cost of Living & Housing in Hardin
Hardin's cost of living centers on a real, genuine affordability advantage in housing, paired with Montana's own low-sales-tax and moderate-income-tax statewide profile, weighed against Big Horn County's real, disclosed economic challenges.
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Learn moreA genuinely affordable cost of housing
Hardin's own median home price ran approximately $125,400 (Ownwell) -- well below Montana's own statewide figures of approximately $317,000-$467,919 depending on source (base record).
A derived ~1.18% effective property tax rate and a $1,476 median tax bill
Ownwell's cited median home price ($125,400) and median annual tax bill ($1,476) imply an approximate 1.18% effective rate, somewhat above Montana's statewide average -- this record discloses that figure as a derivation rather than a directly-cited percentage (base record).
Montana's no sales tax and 5.65% top income tax rate
Montana levies no general statewide sales tax, and its 2026 individual income tax tops out at a 5.65% marginal rate on income above $47,500 single/$95,000 joint, with a scheduled drop to 5.4% for tax year 2027 (base record).
Confirm current income and job-market data directly
Big Horn County's own poverty rate (23.6%, more than double the national average) and above-state-average unemployment (4.4% in 2023) make confirming current household-income and job-market data directly especially important before relocating (base record).
Key takeaways
- Hardin's median home price runs approximately $125,400 -- genuinely affordable relative to Montana's statewide figures.
- A derived ~1.18% effective property tax rate produces a $1,476 median annual tax bill.
- Montana's no-sales-tax structure and 5.65% top income tax rate apply here as they do statewide.
- Big Horn County's elevated poverty (23.6%) and unemployment (4.4%, 2023) figures warrant confirming current data directly.
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