Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lolo, Montana
A $354,000 home here costs
$2,760per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,820. The real number is $940 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.
Lolo against Missoula County and Montana
| Measure | Lolo | Missoula County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $353,700 | $423,100 |
| Median property tax | $3,878 | $3,833 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.096% | 0.906% |
| Median gross rent | $1,126 | $1,125 |
| Population | 4,378 | 119,639 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lolo 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 Lolo?
A $354,000 home in Lolo, Montana costs approximately $2,760 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,820 principal and interest, $323 property tax, $122 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $295 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lolo?
Lolo has an effective property tax rate of 1.096%, based on a median home value of $353,700 and median real estate taxes of $3,878. That is higher than the Missoula County average of 0.906%.
What is the average home price in Lolo?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lolo, Montana is $353,700, against $423,100 across Missoula County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lolo?
Median gross rent in Lolo is $1,126 a month, against $2,760 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 Lolo — 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.