Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Sweet Grass County, Montana
A $296,000 home here costs
$2,237per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,522. The real number is $716 higher every month — 47% 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.
How Sweet Grass County compares
Sweet Grass County ranks 2,722nd of 3,133 US counties by effective property tax rate, meaning property taxes here are lower than in 411 counties and higher than in 2,721. Within Montana it ranks 53rd of 56.
The numbers behind this page
| Measure | Sweet Grass County | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $295,500 | ACS B25077 |
| Median real estate taxes paid | $1,452 | ACS B25103 |
| Effective property tax rate | 0.491% | Derived |
| Median gross rent | $1,073 | ACS B25064 |
| Occupied housing units | 1,497 | ACS B25003 |
| Population | 3,713 | ACS B01003 |
| Residential electricity price | 14.67¢/kWh | EIA 5.6.A |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate | 6.66% | Freddie Mac PMMS |
Other counties in Montana
Compare the cost of the same home elsewhere in the state.
Questions about owning here
What is the property tax rate in Sweet Grass County?
The effective property tax rate in Sweet Grass County, Montana is 0.491% of home value per year. On the county's median home value of $295,500, that works out to about $1,452 annually, or $121 per month.
How much does it cost to own a home in Sweet Grass County?
A $296,000 home in Sweet Grass County, Montana costs approximately $2,237 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That breaks down as $1,522 principal and interest, $121 property tax, $148 insurance, $200 utilities and $247 set aside for maintenance.
Why is this higher than the payment my lender quoted?
Lender quotes usually show principal and interest only, and sometimes property tax and insurance. They almost never include electricity, water or a maintenance reserve. Here those add about $447 a month, which is why the real cost is 47% above the mortgage payment alone.
Is it cheaper to rent in Sweet Grass County?
Median gross rent in Sweet Grass County, Montana is $1,073 per month, compared with $2,237 to own the median home outright. Renting is cheaper month to month, though rent does not build equity and is not fixed for 30 years.
How much is the electric bill in Sweet Grass County?
Montana residential electricity averages 14.67¢ per kWh. At the US average household usage of 899 kWh per month, that is about $132. Actual bills vary considerably with house size, insulation and climate.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes paid, gross rent, occupied units and population — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, tables B25077, B25103, B25064, B25003, B01003.
- Effective property tax rate — median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, updated weekly.
- Residential electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A.
- Homeowners insurance (0.60%/yr), maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are modelled national estimates, not quoted figures. Every one is editable above.