Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Big Sky, Montana
A $885,000 home here costs
$6,127per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,550. The real number is $1,578 higher every month — 35% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Big Sky against Gallatin County and Montana
| Measure | Big Sky | Gallatin County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $884,700 | $604,900 |
| Median property tax | $4,029 | $3,625 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.455% | 0.599% |
| Median gross rent | $1,712 | $1,574 |
| Population | 2,388 | 122,194 |
Big Sky extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Gallatin County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Big Sky sits in Gallatin County, which averages a high of 85.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 9.7°F in its coldest, with 13.43" of precipitation a year and 47% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 232 cooling and 8,244 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Gallatin County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Gallatin County
Full Gallatin County cost breakdown · Every county in Montana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Big Sky?
A $885,000 home in Big Sky, Montana costs approximately $6,127 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,550 principal and interest, $336 property tax, $305 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $738 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Big Sky?
Big Sky has an effective property tax rate of 0.455%, based on a median home value of $884,700 and median real estate taxes of $4,029. That is lower than the Gallatin County average of 0.599%.
What is the average home price in Big Sky?
The median owner-occupied home value in Big Sky, Montana is $884,700, against $604,900 across Gallatin County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Big Sky?
Median gross rent in Big Sky is $1,712 a month, against $6,127 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Big Sky — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Montana.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.