Rent Affordability for A Registered Nurse in Montana

A typical registered nurse in Montana earns about $83,142 a year, which supports approximately $2,079 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. 9 of 12 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 3 are rent-burdened on this salary.

CityMedian rent% of incomeAffordability
Miles City, MT$850/mo12.3%very comfortable
Laurel, MT$1,240/mo17.9%very comfortable
Great Falls, MT$1,388/mo20%affordable
Livingston, MT$1,406/mo20.3%affordable
Butte, MT$1,410/mo20.4%affordable
Billings, MT$1,437/mo20.7%affordable
Missoula, MT$1,550/mo22.4%affordable
Helena, MT$1,617/mo23.3%affordable
Kalispell, MT$1,952/mo28.2%affordable
Bozeman, MT$2,164/mo31.2%stretched
Belgrade, MT$2,344/mo33.8%stretched
Whitefish, MT$2,841/mo41%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).