Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Malta, Montana
A $139,000 home here costs
$1,187per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $715. The real number is $472 higher every month — 66% 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.
Malta against Phillips County and Montana
| Measure | Malta | Phillips County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $139,000 | $175,000 |
| Median property tax | $1,301 | $1,484 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.936% | 0.848% |
| Median gross rent | $693 | $623 |
| Population | 1,902 | 4,224 |
The weather behind that power bill
Malta sits in Phillips County, which averages a high of 86.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 6.6°F in its coldest, with 13.35" of precipitation a year and 45% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 553 cooling and 7,826 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Phillips County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Phillips County
No other places of this size are published in Phillips County.
Full Phillips County cost breakdown · Every county in Montana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Malta?
A $139,000 home in Malta, Montana costs approximately $1,187 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $715 principal and interest, $108 property tax, $48 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $116 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Malta?
Malta has an effective property tax rate of 0.936%, based on a median home value of $139,000 and median real estate taxes of $1,301. That is higher than the Phillips County average of 0.848%.
What is the average home price in Malta?
The median owner-occupied home value in Malta, Montana is $139,000, against $175,000 across Phillips County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Malta?
Median gross rent in Malta is $693 a month, against $1,187 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 Malta — 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.