Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Colstrip, Montana
A $194,000 home here costs
$1,512per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $997. The real number is $515 higher every month — 52% 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.
Colstrip against Rosebud County and Montana
| Measure | Colstrip | Rosebud County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $193,700 | $188,900 |
| Median property tax | $1,040 | $1,191 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.537% | 0.630% |
| Median gross rent | $632 | $644 |
| Population | 2,156 | 8,236 |
The weather behind that power bill
Colstrip sits in Rosebud County, which averages a high of 88.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 10.2°F in its coldest, with 16" of precipitation a year and 46% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 619 cooling and 7,248 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Rosebud County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Rosebud County
Full Rosebud County cost breakdown · Every county in Montana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Colstrip?
A $194,000 home in Colstrip, Montana costs approximately $1,512 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $997 principal and interest, $87 property tax, $67 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $162 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Colstrip?
Colstrip has an effective property tax rate of 0.537%, based on a median home value of $193,700 and median real estate taxes of $1,040. That is lower than the Rosebud County average of 0.630%.
What is the average home price in Colstrip?
The median owner-occupied home value in Colstrip, Montana is $193,700, against $188,900 across Rosebud County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Colstrip?
Median gross rent in Colstrip is $632 a month, against $1,512 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 Colstrip — 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.