Photo: Own work by Saltysailor · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Montague costs less to live in than 67% of U.S. towns
Down 1.4% in a year, 66% below the California typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Siskiyou County, CA ($59K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Siskiyou County earn ($59K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 3.1 years of area income, and 56% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $257Ktypical home, 66% below the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,210a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.1 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$59K, Siskiyou County income
- 17%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 24%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Montague
Prices are 9% below their 2022 peak
The typical Montague home peaked at $281K in July 2022 and is worth about $257K now. Across California, values are only slightly off their high. Over five years, Montague is down 2.1%. Price trend ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Montague’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Montague is more affordable than 67% of U.S. towns. Home prices pull the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have lagged California: the typical Montague home is down 2.1% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Down 2.1% in five years
Slower than California (13.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Montague | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $160,000 | $451,000 |
| 2018 | $176,000 | $499,000 |
| 2019 | $186,000 | $537,000 |
| 2020 | $195,000 | $548,000 |
| 2021 | $228,000 | $604,000 |
| 2022 | $267,000 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | $267,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $265,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $265,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $258,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $257,000 | $762,000 |
A typical Montague home worth $156K in October 2016 is worth about $257K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 3.1 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Montague’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $21K short of a typical Montague home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,210 a month here, $290 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Montague’s typical property tax (0.70% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,210
Renters already here pay a median of $833, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Siskiyou County, CA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,293, under the California median of $5,124, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.70% a year, against 0.70% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Montague and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montague | B+ | $257K | $184K | 0.70% | $1,210 |
Questions about the cost of living in Montague
Is Montague expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Montague costs less than 67% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living. The typical home costs 3.1 years of the median household income of Siskiyou County, CA ($59K).
How much does a house cost in Montague?
About $257K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 1.4% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in Montague?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $64,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,500 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $48,000.
How much is rent in Montague?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,210 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $833 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Montague?
The median bill is $1,293 a year, 0.70% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Montague going up?
No: down 1.4% in the past year and -2.1% in five years, against 13.3% across California (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Montague buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.