Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Whitefish, Montana
A $648,000 home here costs
$4,592per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $3,331. The real number is $1,260 higher every month — 38% 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.
Whitefish against Flathead County and Montana
| Measure | Whitefish | Flathead County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $648,200 | $467,700 |
| Median property tax | $3,573 | $2,867 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.551% | 0.613% |
| Median gross rent | $1,313 | $1,094 |
| Population | 8,422 | 108,445 |
The weather behind that power bill
Whitefish sits in Flathead County, which averages a high of 82.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 19.8°F in its coldest, with 34.62" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 293 cooling and 7,787 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Flathead County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Flathead County
Full Flathead County cost breakdown · Every county in Montana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Whitefish?
A $648,000 home in Whitefish, Montana costs approximately $4,592 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $3,331 principal and interest, $298 property tax, $223 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $540 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Whitefish?
Whitefish has an effective property tax rate of 0.551%, based on a median home value of $648,200 and median real estate taxes of $3,573. That is lower than the Flathead County average of 0.613%.
What is the average home price in Whitefish?
The median owner-occupied home value in Whitefish, Montana is $648,200, against $467,700 across Flathead County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Whitefish?
Median gross rent in Whitefish is $1,313 a month, against $4,592 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 Whitefish — 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.