Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Prairie County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $200,000 | $242,768 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 9.9% | 4.0% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $827 | $1,031 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.1% | 5.1% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Prairie County is about 18% lower than in Montana. Rent is about 20% lower than the Montana average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Prairie County, up about 9.9% and 5.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Prairie County rose about 34.6% between 2015 and 2023, from $614 to $827. Over the same span, rent in Montana rose about 45.0%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 4.4 yearly household incomes in Prairie County.
Buying the median-priced home in Prairie County costs roughly 20.2 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Prairie County. The price-to-rent ratio in Montana is about 19.6.
| Metric | Prairie County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $200,000 | $242,768 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $45,172 | $69,624 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 4.4 | 3.5 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Prairie County rose about 81.1%, while median household income rose about 23.4% between 2009 and 2023 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Prairie County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 59.5% | 60.1% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 18.4% | 26.5% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 22.0% | 13.4% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 18.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2008 | 2011 | 2011 |
Prairie County has a homeownership rate of 59.5%, lower than the Montana average of 60.1%. Its housing vacancy rate is 22.0%, compared with 13.4% in Montana.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Prairie County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.35 people | 2.38 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1960 | 1980 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Prairie County was built around 1960. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.6 rooms, staying for about 18.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Prairie County, Montana.
What is the median home price in Prairie County, Montana?
The median home price in Prairie County, Montana is $200,000, lower than the Montana average of $242,768.
What is the average home price in Prairie County, Montana?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Prairie County, Montana?
The median gross rent in Prairie County, Montana is $827 per month, lower than the Montana average of $1,031.
What was the median gross rent in Prairie County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Prairie County, Montana was $733 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Prairie County, Montana?
The price-to-rent ratio in Prairie County, Montana is about 20.2, meaning it would take roughly 20.2 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Prairie County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Prairie County, Montana?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Prairie County, up about 9.9% and 5.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Prairie County, Montana?
59.5% of households in Prairie County, Montana own their home, lower than the Montana average of 60.1%.
What is the vacancy rate in Prairie County, Montana?
The housing vacancy rate in Prairie County, Montana is 22.0%, higher than the Montana average of 13.4%.