Cost of living in Missoula research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Missoula is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Montana, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Missoula is 104, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Missoula is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Missoula ranks as the #20 cheapest in Montana out of 23.
Missoula ranks as the #3,585 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Missoula is $324,700.
The median income in Missoula is $54,423.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Missoula has an overall cost of living index of 104, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Montana, Missoula has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Montana's index of 103.
The standard of living in Missoula ranks as #20 most affordable out of the 23 places we measured in Montana. By definition, that implies Missoula ranks as the #3 most expensive place in the Treasure State.
For more reading on life in Missoula, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Missoula. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Missoula is 94.
The Groceries index in Missoula is 102.
The Health index in Missoula is 104.
The Housing index in Missoula is 114.
The Transportation index in Missoula is 94.
The Utilities index in Missoula is 87.
Living Expense | Missoula | Montana | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 104 | 103 | 100 | |
Services | 94 | 102 | 100 | |
Groceries | 102 | 101 | 100 | |
Health | 104 | 98 | 100 | |
Housing | 114 | 107 | 100 | |
Transportation | 94 | 111 | 100 | |
Utilities | 87 | 89 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Montana, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Missoula is $324,700.
The Median Rent in Missoula is $971.
The Median Income in Missoula is $54,423.
The Home Value To Income in Missoula is 6.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Missoula is 0.21x.
Statistic | Missoula | Montana | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $324,700 | $263,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $971 | $886 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $54,423 | $60,560 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 6.0x | 4.4x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Missoula. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Orchard Homes, MT has a cost of living index of 110, 1.1x Missoula.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Missoula |
---|---|---|---|
Orchard Homes, MT | 5,170 | 110 | 1.1x |