Rent Affordability for An Auto Mechanic in Montana

A typical auto mechanic in Montana earns about $45,118 a year, which supports approximately $1,128 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Montana city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.

As of May 2026. 1 of 12 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 11 are rent-burdened on this salary.

CityMedian rent% of incomeAffordability
Miles City, MT$850/mo22.6%affordable
Laurel, MT$1,240/mo33%stretched
Great Falls, MT$1,388/mo36.9%stretched
Livingston, MT$1,406/mo37.4%stretched
Butte, MT$1,410/mo37.5%stretched
Billings, MT$1,437/mo38.2%stretched
Missoula, MT$1,550/mo41.2%rent-burdened
Helena, MT$1,617/mo43%rent-burdened
Kalispell, MT$1,952/mo51.9%severely rent-burdened
Bozeman, MT$2,164/mo57.6%severely rent-burdened
Belgrade, MT$2,344/mo62.3%severely rent-burdened
Whitefish, MT$2,841/mo75.6%severely rent-burdened
Methodology: Salary is the BLS-derived state estimate for Montana. Rent is the latest ZORI monthly value for each city. Affordability uses the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income).