Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bigfork, Montana
A $614,000 home here costs
$4,341per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,157. The real number is $1,185 higher every month — 38% 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.
Bigfork against Flathead County and Montana
| Measure | Bigfork | Flathead County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $614,300 | $467,700 |
| Median property tax | $3,144 | $2,867 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.512% | 0.613% |
| Median gross rent | $1,103 | $1,094 |
| Population | 5,249 | 108,445 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bigfork sits in Flathead County, which averages a high of 82.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 19.8°F in its coldest, with 34.62" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 293 cooling and 7,787 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Flathead County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Flathead County
Full Flathead County cost breakdown · Every county in Montana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bigfork?
A $614,000 home in Bigfork, Montana costs approximately $4,341 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,157 principal and interest, $262 property tax, $211 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $512 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bigfork?
Bigfork has an effective property tax rate of 0.512%, based on a median home value of $614,300 and median real estate taxes of $3,144. That is lower than the Flathead County average of 0.613%.
What is the average home price in Bigfork?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bigfork, Montana is $614,300, against $467,700 across Flathead County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bigfork?
Median gross rent in Bigfork is $1,103 a month, against $4,341 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 Bigfork — 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.