Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0Measured against area pay, Forsyth costs more to live in than 78% of U.S. towns
Up 7.9% in a year, 52% below the Montana typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Rosebud County, MT ($50K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 0 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across Rosebud County earn ($50K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 4.2 years of area income, and 53% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $226Ktypical home, 52% below the Montana typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,350a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 4.2 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$50K, Rosebud County income
- 19%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 53%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Montana: 45%Census 2020–24
- 38%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What Forsyth’s housing numbers say
New renters pay more than renters already here
HUD puts a standard two-bedroom at about $1,350 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already in Forsyth pay a median of $776. Renting ↓
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Forsyth home runs about $1,340 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,350. The hurdle is getting in: the down payment, and a budget at the median income that falls short of the typical home. Can I afford it? ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025 (2025 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Forsyth’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Forsyth is more affordable than 22% of U.S. towns. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have outpaced Montana: the typical Forsyth home is up 33.3% in five years, against 23.4% statewide (Zillow).
Up 7.9% in a year
Faster than Montana (2%).
Show as a table
| January | Forsyth | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $120,000 | $231,000 |
| 2018 | $123,000 | $245,000 |
| 2019 | $126,000 | $259,000 |
| 2020 | $130,000 | $274,000 |
| 2021 | $150,000 | $315,000 |
| 2022 | $179,000 | $402,000 |
| 2023 | $198,000 | $430,000 |
| 2024 | $208,000 | $443,000 |
| 2025 | $215,000 | $459,000 |
| 2026 | $210,000 | $463,000 |
| September 2026 | $226,000 | $467,000 |
A typical Forsyth home worth $123K in October 2016 is worth about $226K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 4.2 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Forsyth’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $29K short of a typical Forsyth home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,350 a month here, $10 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Forsyth’s typical property tax (0.81% 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 $1,350
Renters already here pay a median of $776, 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 (Rosebud County, MT): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Forsyth in 2025. The last year with any was 2016 (1 new home).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Forsyth's population fell by 130 even though 3 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Montana: 2.4 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $57,000 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $195,000 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $146,000 |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $224,000 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $312,000 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $90,000 |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $350,000 |
Forsyth's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,680, under the Montana median of $2,693, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.81% 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+”.
Forsyth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forsyth | C− | $226K | $208K | 0.81% | $1,350 |
Questions about the cost of living in Forsyth
Is Forsyth expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Forsyth costs more than 78% of U.S. towns: a C− for cost of living. The typical home costs 4.2 years of the median household income of Rosebud County, MT ($50K).
How much does a house cost in Forsyth?
About $226K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 7.9% in a year. The Montana typical home is $467K.
What salary do you need to live in Forsyth?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $57,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,340 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $54,000.
How much is rent in Forsyth?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,350 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $776 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Forsyth?
The median bill is $1,680 a year, 0.81% of the median home value (Montana: $2,693, 0.72%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Forsyth going up?
Yes: up 7.9% in the past year and 33.3% in five years, against 23.4% across Montana (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Forsyth 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. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits 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.