Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Columbus, Montana
A $264,000 home here costs
$2,014per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,357. The real number is $657 higher every month — 48% 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.
Columbus against Stillwater County and Montana
| Measure | Columbus | Stillwater County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $264,000 | $355,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,752 | $2,131 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.664% | 0.599% |
| Median gross rent | $926 | $968 |
| Population | 1,925 | 9,052 |
The weather behind that power bill
Columbus sits in Stillwater County, which averages a high of 85.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 10.0°F in its coldest, with 15.53" of precipitation a year and 45% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 241 cooling and 7,736 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Stillwater County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Stillwater County
No other places of this size are published in Stillwater County.
Full Stillwater County cost breakdown · Every county in Montana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Columbus?
A $264,000 home in Columbus, Montana costs approximately $2,014 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,357 principal and interest, $146 property tax, $91 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $220 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Columbus?
Columbus has an effective property tax rate of 0.664%, based on a median home value of $264,000 and median real estate taxes of $1,752. That is higher than the Stillwater County average of 0.599%.
What is the average home price in Columbus?
The median owner-occupied home value in Columbus, Montana is $264,000, against $355,600 across Stillwater County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Columbus?
Median gross rent in Columbus is $926 a month, against $2,014 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 Columbus — 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.