Rent Affordability for A Retail Salesperson in Montana

A typical retail salesperson in Montana earns about $32,622 a year, which supports approximately $816 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$813/mo29.9%affordable
Laurel, MT$1,286/mo47.3%rent-burdened
Butte, MT$1,314/mo48.3%rent-burdened
Livingston, MT$1,339/mo49.3%rent-burdened
Great Falls, MT$1,367/mo50.3%severely rent-burdened
Billings, MT$1,458/mo53.6%severely rent-burdened
Missoula, MT$1,550/mo57%severely rent-burdened
Helena, MT$1,663/mo61.2%severely rent-burdened
Kalispell, MT$1,852/mo68.1%severely rent-burdened
Belgrade, MT$2,188/mo80.5%severely rent-burdened
Bozeman, MT$2,227/mo81.9%severely rent-burdened
Whitefish, MT$2,712/mo99.8%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).