Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Sidney, Montana
A $249,000 home here costs
$1,950per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,280. The real number is $670 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.
Sidney against Richland County and Montana
| Measure | Sidney | Richland County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $249,100 | $259,000 |
| Median property tax | $2,128 | $1,935 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.854% | 0.747% |
| Median gross rent | $890 | $866 |
| Population | 6,235 | 11,329 |
The weather behind that power bill
Sidney sits in Richland County, which averages a high of 86.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 6.5°F in its coldest, with 15.5" of precipitation a year and 51% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 593 cooling and 7,770 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Richland County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Richland County
No other places of this size are published in Richland County.
Full Richland County cost breakdown · Every county in Montana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Sidney?
A $249,000 home in Sidney, Montana costs approximately $1,950 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,280 principal and interest, $177 property tax, $86 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $208 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Sidney?
Sidney has an effective property tax rate of 0.854%, based on a median home value of $249,100 and median real estate taxes of $2,128. That is higher than the Richland County average of 0.747%.
What is the average home price in Sidney?
The median owner-occupied home value in Sidney, Montana is $249,100, against $259,000 across Richland County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sidney?
Median gross rent in Sidney is $890 a month, against $1,950 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 Sidney — 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.