Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Deer Lodge, Montana
A $196,000 home here costs
$1,578per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,008. The real number is $570 higher every month — 57% 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.
Deer Lodge against Powell County and Montana
| Measure | Deer Lodge | Powell County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $196,400 | $255,700 |
| Median property tax | $1,678 | $1,809 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.854% | 0.707% |
| Median gross rent | $781 | $770 |
| Population | 3,035 | 7,029 |
The weather behind that power bill
Deer Lodge sits in Powell County, which averages a high of 80.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 8.1°F in its coldest, with 11.8" of precipitation a year and 37% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 43 cooling and 9,521 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Powell County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Powell County
No other places of this size are published in Powell County.
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Deer Lodge?
A $196,000 home in Deer Lodge, Montana costs approximately $1,578 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,008 principal and interest, $139 property tax, $67 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $163 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Deer Lodge?
Deer Lodge has an effective property tax rate of 0.854%, based on a median home value of $196,400 and median real estate taxes of $1,678. That is higher than the Powell County average of 0.707%.
What is the average home price in Deer Lodge?
The median owner-occupied home value in Deer Lodge, Montana is $196,400, against $255,700 across Powell County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Deer Lodge?
Median gross rent in Deer Lodge is $781 a month, against $1,578 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 Deer Lodge — 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.