Cost of Living in Shelby
Shelby's cost of living runs genuinely favorable on housing and rent even as a real, disclosed property tax premium applies.
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Learn moreGenuinely affordable housing and rent
Shelby's $232,700 median property value and a real, disclosed rent spread ($590-$972/month depending on source) both run dramatically below national and Montana statewide averages (base record).
A real, disclosed property tax premium
Shelby's 1.24% effective property tax rate runs above both Toole County's 1.23% median and Montana's own 0.74% statewide anchor -- though the median annual bill ($1,444) still runs below the national median given low home values (base record).
Montana's real 5.65% top income tax rate, no sales tax
Montana's real, current two-bracket income tax (4.7%/5.65%) applies in Shelby as statewide, alongside Montana's genuine NOMAD no-general-sales-tax status (base record).
Housing costs run genuinely below the national average
Housing costs ran approximately 25.6% below the national average ($893/month single, $1,637/month for a family of four) (base record).
Key takeaways
- Shelby's housing and rent both run genuinely, substantially below national and Montana statewide averages.
- Shelby's own 1.24% property tax rate runs above Montana's statewide picture, a real, disclosed trade-off.
- Montana's 5.65% top income tax rate and no general sales tax both apply in Shelby.
- Overall housing costs run about 25.6% below the national average.
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