Even on the area’s higher pay, Clancy costs more to live in than 57% of U.S. towns
Up 3.7% in a year, 36% above the Montana typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Helena, MT metro area ($79K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 2 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Clancy’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($79K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up no better than renters: 22% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 0% of renters.
In dollars
- $636Ktypical home, 36% above the Montana typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,740a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 96prices across the Helena metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 90)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 6.0 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$79K, Helena-area income
- 15%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 22%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Clancy
What’s behind Clancy’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Clancy is more affordable than 43% of U.S. towns. Home prices pull the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Values have outpaced Montana: the typical Clancy home is up 28.8% in five years, against 23.4% statewide (Zillow).
Up 28.8% in five years
Faster than Montana (23.4%).
Show as a table
| January | Clancy | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $308,000 | $231,000 |
| 2018 | $335,000 | $245,000 |
| 2019 | $351,000 | $259,000 |
| 2020 | $364,000 | $274,000 |
| 2021 | $408,000 | $315,000 |
| 2022 | $519,000 | $402,000 |
| 2023 | $554,000 | $430,000 |
| 2024 | $579,000 | $443,000 |
| 2025 | $614,000 | $459,000 |
| 2026 | $632,000 | $463,000 |
| September 2026 | $636,000 | $467,000 |
A typical Clancy home worth $305K in October 2016 is worth about $636K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 6.0 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Clancy’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $318K short of a typical Clancy home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,740 a month here, $1,950 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Clancy’s typical property tax (0.67% 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 $1,740
Renters already here pay a median of $978, 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 (Jefferson County, MT HUD Metro FMR Area): 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 $3,142 (Montana: $2,693), because homes cost more. As a share of value it’s 0.67% 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+”.
The rest of a budget near Clancy
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Helena, MT metro area, or Montana. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 96 | MT 95 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 96 | MT 96 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 73 | MT 72 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 99 | MT 99 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Clancy vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, Clancy has the lowest. Montana City has no Zillow value, so it is in the table only.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clancy | C+ | $636K | $469K | 0.67% | $1,740 |
| Montana City | C− | — | $571K | 0.62% | $1,720 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Clancy
Is Clancy expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Clancy costs more than 57% of U.S. towns: a C+ for cost of living. The typical home costs 6.0 years of the median household income of the Helena, MT metro area ($79K).
How much does a house cost in Clancy?
About $636K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 3.7% in a year. The Montana typical home is $467K.
What salary do you need to live in Clancy?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $158,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $3,690 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $70,000.
How much is rent in Clancy?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,740 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $978 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Clancy?
The median bill is $3,142 a year, 0.67% of the median home value (Montana: $2,693, 0.72%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Clancy going up?
Yes: up 3.7% in the past year and 28.8% in five years, against 23.4% across Montana (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Clancy 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.