Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0Measured against area pay, Roundup costs more to live in than 56% of U.S. towns
Up 1.8% in a year, 49% below the Montana typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Musselshell County, MT ($59K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 3 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 Musselshell County earn ($59K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 2.8 years of area income, and 61% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $236Ktypical home, 49% below the Montana typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,370a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.8 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$59K, Musselshell County income
- 19%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 61%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Montana: 45%Census 2020–24
- 28%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Roundup, in brief
An older housing stock
Half of Roundup’s homes were built before 1954, against 1981 for Montana as a whole. Older homes can mean character, and also bigger heating and repair bills, so an inspection matters. Property taxes ↓
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 Roundup’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Roundup is more affordable than 44% of U.S. towns. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have lagged Montana: the typical Roundup home is up 10.2% in five years, against 23.4% statewide (Zillow).
Up 10.2% in five years
Slower than Montana (23.4%).
Show as a table
| January | Roundup | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $130,000 | $231,000 |
| 2018 | $137,000 | $245,000 |
| 2019 | $148,000 | $259,000 |
| 2020 | $154,000 | $274,000 |
| 2021 | $180,000 | $315,000 |
| 2022 | $220,000 | $402,000 |
| 2023 | $227,000 | $430,000 |
| 2024 | $232,000 | $443,000 |
| 2025 | $243,000 | $459,000 |
| 2026 | $225,000 | $463,000 |
| September 2026 | $236,000 | $467,000 |
A typical Roundup home worth $130K in October 2016 is worth about $236K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.8 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Roundup’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $4K short of a typical Roundup home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,370 a month here, $30 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Roundup’s typical property tax (0.83% 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 $1,370
Renters already here pay a median of $950, 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 (Fergus County, MT): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
7 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 7 new homes in Roundup in 2025: 3 single-family houses and 4 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $1.1 million to build. That's 3.5 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Montana (7.3). Over the past 10 years, Roundup has permitted 30 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Roundup's population fell by 46 even though 10 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) | 4 | 1 | 3 | $785,000 |
| 2025 | 7 | 3 | 4 | $1.1 million |
| 2024 | 7 | 3 | 4 | $1.1 million |
| 2023 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.9 million |
| 2022 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $780,000 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $308,000 |
| 2020 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $400,000 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $125,000 |
| 2017 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $300,000 |
| 2016 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2015 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $138,000 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $300,000 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $300,000 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $250,000 |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $100,000 |
| 2009 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $510,000 |
| 2008 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2007 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $775,000 |
| 2006 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $265,000 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $210,000 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $77,000 |
Roundup'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 $1,373, under the Montana median of $2,693, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.83% 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+”.
Roundup vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, Roundup has the lowest.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roundup | C+ | $236K | $166K | 0.83% | $1,370 |
| Camp Three | – | — | — | — | $1,370 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents). “—” 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 Roundup
Is Roundup expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Roundup costs more than 56% of U.S. towns: a C+ for cost of living. The typical home costs 2.8 years of the median household income of Musselshell County, MT ($59K).
How much does a house cost in Roundup?
About $236K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 1.8% in a year. The Montana typical home is $467K.
What salary do you need to live in Roundup?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $60,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,400 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $55,000.
How much is rent in Roundup?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,370 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $950 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Roundup?
The median bill is $1,373 a year, 0.83% of the median home value (Montana: $2,693, 0.72%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Roundup going up?
Yes: up 1.8% in the past year and 10.2% in five years, against 23.4% across Montana (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Roundup 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.