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Buying a home in Shepherd, Montana

The typical owner-occupied home in Shepherd is worth about $114,400, 70% below the Montana median of $375,800 and 66% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,156 a year in property taxes, about 1.01% of their home's value, higher than the Montana rate of 0.72%. The median household earns $80,125 a year, so the median home costs 1.4 times the median income (5.2 times for Montana). 100% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 27% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Shepherd at a glance

Shepherd Montana U.S.
Median home value $114,400 $375,800 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,156 $2,693 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.01% 0.72% 0.94%
Median household income $80,125 $72,509 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 100% 69% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 27% 55% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,675 $1,798 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 26.5% 21.9% 21.0%
Median rent – $1,081 $1,413
Median year homes were built 1990 1981 1980
Vacant homes 0.0% 13.2% 10.1%
Population 353 1,116,875 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Shepherd

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Shepherd home of $114,400 with 20% down costs about $760 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $950, 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 $32,555 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 11% of the median Shepherd household income of $80,125; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $282,000.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$22,880
Loan amount$91,520
Principal and interest$616
Property taxes (1.01% a year)$96
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$48
PMI$0
Total per month$760

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$4,004
Loan amount$112,328
Principal and interest$756
Property taxes (1.01% a year)$96
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$48
FHA mortgage insurance$51
Total per month$950

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Questions about home buying in Shepherd

What is the median home value in Shepherd?

About $114,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Shepherd?

Homeowners pay a median $1,156 a year, which is about 1.01% 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 Shepherd?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $760 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $32,555 a year.

More about Shepherd

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