Photo: Katie Brady from Missoula, Montana, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Measured against area pay, Bigfork costs more to live in than 80% of U.S. towns
It ranks #32 of 42 in Montana for affordability. Up 3.2% in a year, 72% above the Montana typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Kalispell, MT micro area ($74K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Kalispell-area micro earn ($74K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 9.1 years of area income, and 52% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $803Ktypical home, 72% above the Montana typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,780a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 9.1 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$74K, Kalispell-area income
- 16%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 52%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Montana: 45%Census 2020–24
- 26%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Bigfork
About 10 months of homes for sale
At the pace homes sold in September, it would take about 10.2 months to sell everything listed (Montana: 6.1). The typical home took 76 days to sell. None sold above the asking price. How fast homes sell ↓
New renters pay more than renters already here
HUD puts a standard two-bedroom at about $1,780 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already in Bigfork pay a median of $1,016. Renting ↓
A second-home town
20% of Bigfork’s homes are seasonal or vacation homes, empty for much of the year. Property taxes ↓
Mostly newer homes
Half of Bigfork’s homes were built after 1995, against 1981 for Montana as a whole. Property taxes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for September 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Bigfork’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Bigfork is more affordable than 20% of U.S. towns, #32 of 42 in Montana. Home prices pull the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Montana: up 23.7% in five years, against 23.4% statewide (Zillow).
Up 3.2% in a year
About the same pace as Montana (2%).
Show as a table
| January | Bigfork | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $346,000 | $231,000 |
| 2018 | $370,000 | $245,000 |
| 2019 | $391,000 | $259,000 |
| 2020 | $412,000 | $274,000 |
| 2021 | $492,000 | $315,000 |
| 2022 | $703,000 | $402,000 |
| 2023 | $759,000 | $430,000 |
| 2024 | $765,000 | $443,000 |
| 2025 | $788,000 | $459,000 |
| 2026 | $788,000 | $463,000 |
| September 2026 | $803,000 | $467,000 |
A typical Bigfork home worth $344K in October 2016 is worth about $803K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
Too few sales to read the market
Only 10 homes sold in September 2026, the latest month in Redfin’s figures: too few to describe the market or quote a median sale price.
A typical home costs 9.1 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Bigfork’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $498K short of a typical Bigfork home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,780 a month here, $2,770 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Bigfork’s typical property tax (0.50% 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 $1,780
Renters already here pay a median of $1,016, 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 (Flathead County, MT): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
High tax bills, but a low tax rate
The median bill is $3,383 (Montana: $2,693), because homes cost more. As a share of value it’s 0.50% a year, against 0.72% 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+”.
Bigfork 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bigfork | C− | $803K | $675K | 0.50% | $1,780 |
Questions about the cost of living in Bigfork
Is Bigfork expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Bigfork costs more than 80% of U.S. towns: a C− for cost of living, #32 of 42 in Montana. The typical home costs 9.1 years of the median household income of the Kalispell, MT micro area ($74K).
How much does a house cost in Bigfork?
About $803K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 3.2% in a year. The Montana typical home is $467K.
What salary do you need to live in Bigfork?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $195,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $4,550 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $71,000.
How much is rent in Bigfork?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,780 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,016 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Bigfork?
The median bill is $3,383 a year, 0.50% of the median home value (Montana: $2,693, 0.72%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Bigfork going up?
Yes: up 3.2% in the past year and 23.7% in five years, against 23.4% across Montana (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Bigfork 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, September 2026. 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.