Sanders County, Montana Housing Market Prices
Sanders County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 8% below the Montana median$229,555
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Median rent 24% below the Montana median$820
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Sanders County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $229,555 | $249,140 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 9.3% | 3.8% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $820 | $1,081 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.2% | 5.0% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Sanders County is about 8% lower than in Montana. Rent is about 24% lower than the Montana average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Sanders County, up about 9.3% and 3.2% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Sanders County rose about 32.9% between 2015 and 2024, from $617 to $820. Over the same span, rent in Montana rose about 52.0%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 3.9 yearly household incomes in Sanders County.
Buying the median-priced home in Sanders County costs roughly 23.3 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 Sanders County. The price-to-rent ratio in Montana is about 19.2.
| Metric | Sanders County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $229,555 | $249,140 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $59,078 | $72,476 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Sanders County rose about 43.3%, while median household income rose about 66.1% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Sanders County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 65.1% | 60.1% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 15.0% | 26.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 19.9% | 13.2% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 16.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2010 | 2011 | 2011 |
Sanders County has a homeownership rate of 65.1%, higher than the Montana average of 60.1%. Its housing vacancy rate is 19.9%, compared with 13.2% in Montana.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Sanders County | Montana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.40 people | 2.37 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1988 | 1981 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.1 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Sanders County was built around 1988. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.1 rooms, staying for about 16.0 years on average.
Sanders County, MT Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
How Sanders County, MT compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanders County, MT | 13,282 | $229,555 #3/3 | $820 #2/3 | 81.3% #1/3 |
| Lincoln County, MT | 21,175 | $362,903 | $762 | 77.6% |
| Lake County, MT | 32,553 | $402,194 | $901 | 75.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Sanders County, Montana.
What is the median home price in Sanders County, Montana?
The median home price in Sanders County, Montana is $229,555, lower than the Montana average of $249,140.
What is the average home price in Sanders County, Montana?
The typical home price in Sanders County, Montana, reported as the median sale price, is $229,555. 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 Sanders County, Montana?
The median gross rent in Sanders County, Montana is $820 per month, lower than the Montana average of $1,081.
What was the median gross rent in Sanders County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Sanders County, Montana was $633 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Sanders County, Montana?
The price-to-rent ratio in Sanders County, Montana is about 23.3, meaning it would take roughly 23.3 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 Sanders County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Sanders County, Montana?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Sanders County, up about 9.3% and 3.2% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Sanders County, Montana?
65.1% of households in Sanders County, Montana own their home, higher than the Montana average of 60.1%.
What is the vacancy rate in Sanders County, Montana?
The housing vacancy rate in Sanders County, Montana is 19.9%, higher than the Montana average of 13.2%.
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