Montana Cities Rank Poorly In New Study On Best Places To Rent

For a lot of folks, owning a home feels more like a pipe dream than a realistic goal—especially in today’s housing market, and especially here in Montana. Between sky-high property prices, interest rates, and the cost of just existing, many Montanans are left stuck choosing between buying or continuing to rent.

And for some, renting isn’t even a choice—it’s just the only option that makes sense. Whether it’s about convenience, flexibility, or short-term affordability, plenty of people lean toward renting. But let’s be real... rent prices in Montana are getting just as wild as home prices—and in some places, they’re pretty much neck-and-neck with a mortgage payment.

It’s not just a local thing either. Inflation continues to push rental rates up nationwide, with an average increase of 5.1% in recent years.

To get a better idea of what that looks like across the country, WalletHub released a new study ranking the best and worst places to rent in the U.S. They analyzed more than 180 cities and used 21 key metrics—everything from rental affordability and cost of living to job availability, historical price trends, and even vacancy rates.

So Where Did Montana Land? Brace yourself—it’s not pretty.
Two of Montana’s biggest cities landed in the lower half of the rankings.

• Billings: Ranked #116
• Missoula: Ranked even worse at #159

Not exactly the top-tier rental experience. For comparison? The best city in the country to rent in according to this study is Overland Park, Kansas.

Look, we all love Montana—it’s beautiful, wild, and full of charm. But when it comes to renting? Affordable housing still has a long way to go in the Treasure State.