Home / Home Buying by state / Montana / Carbon County

Buying a home in Carbon County, Montana

The typical owner-occupied home in Carbon County is worth about $420,800, 12% above the Montana median of $375,800 and 26% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,281 a year in property taxes, about 0.54% of their home's value, lower than the Montana rate of 0.72%. The median household earns $80,261 a year, so the median home costs 5.2 times the median income (5.2 times for Montana). 78% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 51% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Carbon County at a glance

Carbon County Montana U.S.
Median home value $420,800 $375,800 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,281 $2,693 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.54% 0.72% 0.94%
Median household income $80,261 $72,509 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 78% 69% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 51% 55% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,753 $1,798 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 21.5% 21.9% 21.0%
Median rent $844 $1,081 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 22.5% 27.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1977 1981 1980
Vacant homes 27.7% 13.2% 10.1%
Population 11,116 1,116,875 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Carbon County

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Carbon County home of $420,800 with 20% down costs about $2,629 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,330, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $112,684 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 39% of the median Carbon County household income of $80,261; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $300,000.

The median rent here is $844 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,785 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$84,160
Loan amount$336,640
Principal and interest$2,265
Property taxes (0.54% a year)$189
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$175
PMI$0
Total per month$2,629

Change the numbers in the calculator

3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$14,728
Loan amount$413,178
Principal and interest$2,779
Property taxes (0.54% a year)$189
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$175
FHA mortgage insurance$186
Total per month$3,330

Change the numbers in the calculator

Questions about home buying in Carbon County

What is the median home value in Carbon County?

About $420,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Carbon County?

Homeowners pay a median $2,281 a year, which is about 0.54% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Carbon County?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,629 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $112,684 a year.

More about Carbon County

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data