Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Fort Benton, Montana
A $202,000 home here costs
$1,650per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,038. The real number is $611 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.
Fort Benton against Chouteau County and Montana
| Measure | Fort Benton | Chouteau County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $201,900 | $185,100 |
| Median property tax | $2,083 | $1,446 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.032% | 0.781% |
| Median gross rent | $745 | $485 |
| Population | 1,470 | 5,888 |
The weather behind that power bill
Fort Benton sits in Chouteau County, which averages a high of 87.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 7.2°F in its coldest, with 12.79" of precipitation a year and 46% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 413 cooling and 7,741 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Chouteau County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Chouteau County
No other places of this size are published in Chouteau County.
Full Chouteau County cost breakdown · Every county in Montana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Fort Benton?
A $202,000 home in Fort Benton, Montana costs approximately $1,650 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,038 principal and interest, $174 property tax, $70 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $168 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Fort Benton?
Fort Benton has an effective property tax rate of 1.032%, based on a median home value of $201,900 and median real estate taxes of $2,083. That is higher than the Chouteau County average of 0.781%.
What is the average home price in Fort Benton?
The median owner-occupied home value in Fort Benton, Montana is $201,900, against $185,100 across Chouteau County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fort Benton?
Median gross rent in Fort Benton is $745 a month, against $1,650 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 Fort Benton — 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.