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Buying a home in Circle, Montana

The typical owner-occupied home in Circle is worth about $171,900, 54% below the Montana median of $375,800 and 48% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,179 a year in property taxes, about 1.27% of their home's value, higher than the Montana rate of 0.72%. The median household earns $75,417 a year, so the median home costs 2.3 times the median income (5.2 times for Montana). 85% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 54% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Circle at a glance

Circle Montana U.S.
Median home value $171,900 $375,800 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,179 $2,693 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.27% 0.72% 0.94%
Median household income $75,417 $72,509 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 85% 69% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 54% 55% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,475 $1,798 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 15.9% 21.9% 21.0%
Median rent $547 $1,081 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 18.1% 27.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1958 1981 1980
Vacant homes 25.2% 13.2% 10.1%
Population 514 1,116,875 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Circle

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Circle home of $171,900 with 20% down costs about $1,179 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,465, 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 $50,514 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 19% of the median Circle household income of $75,417; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $257,000.

The median rent here is $547 a month, so owning the median home costs about $632 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$34,380
Loan amount$137,520
Principal and interest$925
Property taxes (1.27% a year)$182
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$72
PMI$0
Total per month$1,179

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$6,016
Loan amount$168,786
Principal and interest$1,135
Property taxes (1.27% a year)$182
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$72
FHA mortgage insurance$76
Total per month$1,465

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Questions about home buying in Circle

What is the median home value in Circle?

About $171,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Circle?

Homeowners pay a median $2,179 a year, which is about 1.27% 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 Circle?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,179 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $50,514 a year.

More about Circle

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