Rent Affordability for A Waiter or Waitress in Montana
A typical waiter or waitress in Montana earns about $32,146 a year, which supports approximately $804 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. 0 of 12 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 12 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles City, MT | $813/mo | 30.3% | stretched |
| Laurel, MT | $1,286/mo | 48% | rent-burdened |
| Butte, MT | $1,314/mo | 49.1% | rent-burdened |
| Livingston, MT | $1,339/mo | 50% | rent-burdened |
| Great Falls, MT | $1,367/mo | 51% | severely rent-burdened |
| Billings, MT | $1,458/mo | 54.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Missoula, MT | $1,550/mo | 57.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Helena, MT | $1,663/mo | 62.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Kalispell, MT | $1,852/mo | 69.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Belgrade, MT | $2,188/mo | 81.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bozeman, MT | $2,227/mo | 83.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Whitefish, MT | $2,712/mo | 101.2% | severely rent-burdened |