Last updated: October 2026
Moving to Montana means juggling housing costs, a long-distance move and a short list of state deadlines once you arrive. Zillow puts Montana’s typical home value at about $467,000 (September 2026), compared with about $366,000 for the U.S. as a whole, and Bozeman and Whitefish run far higher. On the plus side, there’s no general sales tax, and the state income tax tops out at 5.65% for 2026, falling to 5.4% in 2027.
This page puts our moving guides in the order you’re likely to need them. Each one links to the agency or data source behind its numbers.
1. Choose a town
Start with Moving to Montana in 2027 for town-by-town costs and a month-by-month timeline. Then compare the cost of living in Bozeman, Missoula, Billings and Kalispell and the Flathead Valley, or browse our guides to 12 Montana towns.
2. Budget for the move
Angi’s 2026 data puts the national average for a cross-country move at $4,566, with most people paying $2,388 to $6,868. How Much Does It Cost to Move to Montana? compares full-service movers, pack-it-yourself containers and rental trucks, and explains the 4% tax on trucks rented inside Montana.
3. Understand Montana taxes
Montana has no general sales tax, but resort towns add a local resort tax, and hotel stays carry an 8% lodging tax. Property tax rates now depend on whether a home is your primary residence. Does Montana Have Sales Tax? covers all of it.
4. After you arrive
You have 60 days to start your driver’s license transfer and 60 days to title and register your vehicles. Resident hunting and fishing licenses open up after 180 consecutive days. If you buy a home you’ll live in, you enroll for the reduced primary-residence property tax rate by March 1, 2027, for the 2027 tax year. Our Moving to Montana checklist covers each step in order, with documents and fees.