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Belgrade.

All Belgrade data Compare Belgrade

11,872people live here $97,328median household income▲ 21% above US $1,877median rent per month▲ 33% above US $535,200median home value▲ 61% above US

What it's like to live in Belgrade

Belgrade is a small city in Montana with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Belgrade deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, cold, harsh winters, and heavy snowfall.

The good

Low unemployment in the county
Higher-than-average incomes
Clean air
Fast-growing population
Average class sizes

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
High home prices
Cold, harsh winters
Heavy snowfall — 91" per year
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How Belgrade compares

Median household income

Belgrade$97,328

Montana avg$72,509

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Belgrade$1,877

Montana avg$1,081

US$1,413

Median home value

Belgrade$535,200

Montana avg$375,800

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Belgrade

Based on Belgrade's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$3,754

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $75,080 a year
45% of Belgrade renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$107,040

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $53,520
Homes cost 5.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 33% above US

$1,877/mo median rent

Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,877 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $535,200. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $535,200 · 45% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

2.5% county unemployment

Unemployment in Gallatin County is 2.5%, well below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Gallatin County (county-wide)

SafetyNear US average

331 violent crimes per 100k

Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.

Property crime 1420/100k · Belgrade Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

25 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 24.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

80%

Work from home

11%

Carpool

7.6%

Other

1.0%

Public transit

0.2%

Walk

0.2%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 11°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforceNear US average

38% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 38% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

4 public schools inside the boundary

There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site (87 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Belgrade's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,877/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget, anyone who doesn't drive, and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.

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