Rent Affordability for A Police Officer in Montana
A typical police officer in Montana earns about $67,998 a year, which supports approximately $1,700 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. 8 of 12 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 4 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles City, MT | $850/mo | 15% | very comfortable |
| Laurel, MT | $1,282/mo | 22.6% | affordable |
| Billings, MT | $1,393/mo | 24.6% | affordable |
| Great Falls, MT | $1,433/mo | 25.3% | affordable |
| Butte, MT | $1,443/mo | 25.5% | affordable |
| Livingston, MT | $1,473/mo | 26% | affordable |
| Missoula, MT | $1,622/mo | 28.6% | affordable |
| Helena, MT | $1,630/mo | 28.8% | affordable |
| Kalispell, MT | $1,888/mo | 33.3% | stretched |
| Belgrade, MT | $2,134/mo | 37.7% | stretched |
| Bozeman, MT | $2,199/mo | 38.8% | stretched |
| Whitefish, MT | $2,790/mo | 49.2% | rent-burdened |