Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Frenchtown, Montana
A $392,000 home here costs
$3,004per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,015. The real number is $989 higher every month — 49% 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.
Frenchtown against Missoula County and Montana
| Measure | Frenchtown | Missoula County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $391,600 | $423,100 |
| Median property tax | $3,927 | $3,833 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.003% | 0.906% |
| Median gross rent | $1,458 | $1,125 |
| Population | 1,629 | 119,639 |
The weather behind that power bill
Frenchtown sits in Missoula County, which averages a high of 85.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.8°F in its coldest, with 14.11" of precipitation a year and 37% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 306 cooling and 7,514 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Missoula County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Missoula County
Full Missoula County cost breakdown · Every county in Montana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Frenchtown?
A $392,000 home in Frenchtown, Montana costs approximately $3,004 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,015 principal and interest, $328 property tax, $135 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $327 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Frenchtown?
Frenchtown has an effective property tax rate of 1.003%, based on a median home value of $391,600 and median real estate taxes of $3,927. That is higher than the Missoula County average of 0.906%.
What is the average home price in Frenchtown?
The median owner-occupied home value in Frenchtown, Montana is $391,600, against $423,100 across Missoula County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Frenchtown?
Median gross rent in Frenchtown is $1,458 a month, against $3,004 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 Frenchtown — 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.