Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Townsend, Montana
A $213,000 home here costs
$1,669per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,095. The real number is $574 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.
Townsend against Broadwater County and Montana
| Measure | Townsend | Broadwater County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $212,800 | $364,800 |
| Median property tax | $1,474 | $2,210 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.693% | 0.606% |
| Median gross rent | $976 | $978 |
| Population | 2,232 | 7,310 |
The weather behind that power bill
Townsend sits in Broadwater County, which averages a high of 83.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 13.7°F in its coldest, with 10.55" of precipitation a year and 52% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 253 cooling and 7,544 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Broadwater County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Broadwater County
Full Broadwater County cost breakdown · Every county in Montana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Townsend?
A $213,000 home in Townsend, Montana costs approximately $1,669 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,095 principal and interest, $123 property tax, $73 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $178 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Townsend?
Townsend has an effective property tax rate of 0.693%, based on a median home value of $212,800 and median real estate taxes of $1,474. That is higher than the Broadwater County average of 0.606%.
What is the average home price in Townsend?
The median owner-occupied home value in Townsend, Montana is $212,800, against $364,800 across Broadwater County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Townsend?
Median gross rent in Townsend is $976 a month, against $1,669 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 Townsend — 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.