Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Chinook, Montana
A $206,000 home here costs
$1,679per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,059. The real number is $620 higher every month — 59% 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.
Chinook against Blaine County and Montana
| Measure | Chinook | Blaine County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $205,900 | $124,900 |
| Median property tax | $2,124 | $1,901 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.032% | 1.522% |
| Median gross rent | $811 | $689 |
| Population | 1,460 | 6,997 |
The weather behind that power bill
Chinook sits in Blaine County, which averages a high of 84.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 5.9°F in its coldest, with 13.49" of precipitation a year and 51% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 347 cooling and 8,474 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Blaine County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Blaine County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Chinook?
A $206,000 home in Chinook, Montana costs approximately $1,679 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,059 principal and interest, $177 property tax, $71 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $172 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Chinook?
Chinook has an effective property tax rate of 1.032%, based on a median home value of $205,900 and median real estate taxes of $2,124. That is lower than the Blaine County average of 1.522%.
What is the average home price in Chinook?
The median owner-occupied home value in Chinook, Montana is $205,900, against $124,900 across Blaine County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Chinook?
Median gross rent in Chinook is $811 a month, against $1,679 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 Chinook — 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.