Rent Affordability for A Carpenter in Montana

A typical carpenter in Montana earns about $53,627 a year, which supports approximately $1,341 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. 2 of 12 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 10 are rent-burdened on this salary.

City↕Median rent↕% of income↑Affordability
Miles City, MT$850/mo19%very comfortable
Laurel, MT$1,282/mo28.7%affordable
Billings, MT$1,393/mo31.2%stretched
Great Falls, MT$1,433/mo32.1%stretched
Butte, MT$1,443/mo32.3%stretched
Livingston, MT$1,473/mo33%stretched
Missoula, MT$1,622/mo36.3%stretched
Helena, MT$1,630/mo36.5%stretched
Kalispell, MT$1,888/mo42.2%rent-burdened
Belgrade, MT$2,134/mo47.8%rent-burdened
Bozeman, MT$2,199/mo49.2%rent-burdened
Whitefish, MT$2,790/mo62.4%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).