Cost of Living in Missoula
Missoula's cost-of-living picture runs genuinely above the national average, driven substantially by housing -- Zillow's cited average home value ran approximately $576,303, roughly 41% above the cited 2026 national median -- even as Montana's income tax and total absence of a sales tax offer real, partial offsets.
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Learn moreHousing and Rent Run Genuinely Above the National Figure
As detailed on the housing-market and renting topic pages, Zillow's cited average home value ran approximately $576,303 (up ~0.9% YoY), roughly 41% above the cited 2026 national median sale price of approximately $408,776. RentCafe's cited average rent across all apartment types ran approximately $1,649/month as of March 2026, among the higher rent figures in this project's Tier A+ dataset.
A Real, Disclosed Cross-Source Spread on the Cost-of-Living Index Itself
This record discloses a real, genuine cross-source spread directly rather than picking a single flattering or alarming number: cost-of-living index citations reviewed this pass ranged from approximately 101 (near the national average) to approximately 115-118 (meaningfully above it), depending on the source and methodology used. This record does not resolve this spread to one number -- movers should budget based on the specific, itemized costs (housing, taxes, insurance) detailed on this project's other Missoula topic pages rather than a single index figure.
Montana's Income Tax Is Genuinely Simplified and Reduced for 2026, and There Is No Sales Tax
As detailed on the taxes topic page, Montana's real, current 2026 top marginal income tax rate is 5.65% (a two-bracket system, down from a historical 6.9% top rate), and Montana levies no general state sales tax at all -- a real, genuine partial offset to the state's above-national housing costs.
Property Tax Runs Genuinely Above the National and State Comparison Figures
As detailed on the property-taxes topic page, Missoula's own cited effective rate (~1.22%, Ownwell) runs above both Montana's statewide median (~0.78%) and the ~1.02% national comparison figure this project uses consistently -- a real, disclosed cost this record does not soften.
Homeowners Insurance Runs Above the National Average, Driven by Wildfire Risk
As detailed on the homeowners-insurance topic page, Missoula's cited annual premium (~$1,720) ran above the cited national average (~$1,428), with sources specifically attributing this to wildfire risk given the city's proximity to dense forest.
Key takeaways
- Zillow's cited Missoula average home value ran approximately $576,303, roughly 41% above the cited 2026 national median (~$408,776) -- a real, substantial premium.
- Cost-of-living index citations for Missoula ranged from approximately 101 to 118 across sources -- a real, disclosed cross-source spread this record does not resolve to one number.
- Montana's real, current top income tax rate is 5.65% for 2026, and there is no general state sales tax -- a real, partial offset to housing costs.
- Missoula's own effective property tax rate runs above both the Montana statewide median and the national comparison figure.
- Homeowners insurance in Missoula ran above the national average, with wildfire risk specifically cited as a driver.
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