Missoula's median home price sits at $460,000, 10% above the $420,000 national median. On a $62,000 median household income, that puts the price-to-income ratio at 7.4x, or 7.4 years of gross pay for the purchase price alone.
At a 0.85% effective rate, Missoula property taxes add $326 to the monthly payment on the median home, $3,910 a year in total.
Between the $2,915/month mortgage payment and Montana's state income tax, your real housing cost calculation needs your after-tax number, not your gross salary.
Beyond housing, Missoula's cost of living index sits at 103 (national average = 100), running above the national baseline for groceries, transportation, and everyday services.
Missoula's median home price runs 21% higher than nearby Billings: $380,000 there versus $460,000 here.