Bozeman, MT — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Montana·Bozeman

Gallatin County · Bozeman · population 57,894

Growing fast
Bozeman, MT
Image: Wikipedia · Bozeman, Montana
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
63
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Bozeman stands

Population growing 2.1% per year.

Median home $728,406
1-year -1.5%
5-yr CAGR +4.2%
vs 5-yr peak -2.5%
Population +2.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2024-05$728k$329k$478k$628k$777k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
78/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,205/mo$1,650$2,010$2,370202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent123126100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 27.5
Rent

At a 27.5 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Bozeman for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
42 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
60 · w22%
Distance from peak
75 · w18%
Population growth
81 · w16%
Rent YoY
52 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
78 · w10%
Long thesis

Bozeman has held up across the cycle: home values at $728,406 with +4.2% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Bozeman's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Bozeman

Bozeman is a city in Gallatin County, Montana, with an estimated population of 57,894. The population has grown 2.1% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Bozeman is $728,406 as of 2026-04, down 1.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.2% annual growth (-2.5% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Bozeman average $2,205 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.1%). The composite momentum score is 63 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●People are voting with their feet: population growing 2.1% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
●Held the highs: currently -2.5% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Expensive AND not growing: median home $728,406 with only -1.5% YoY. You’re paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Bozeman (Wikipedia)

Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. The 2020 United States census put Bozeman's population at 53,293, making it Montana's fourth-largest city. It is the principal city of the Bozeman, Montana, metropolitan statistical area, consisting of all of Gallatin County, with a population of 118,960. It is the second-largest of Montana's statistical areas.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorTerry Cunningham
Area20.91 sq mi
Elevation4817 ft
FoundedAugust 9, 1864
Density2554.43/sq mi
Named forJohn Bozeman

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Gallatin County right now.

NWS active alerts (MT)Montana Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Gallatin County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Bozeman

10 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Sourdough$1,114,001+2.4%
2South Central$1,082,019-1.5%
3Downtown$955,107+1.7%
4Southeast$891,296-6.8%
5Bogert Park$831,657-0.8%
6University$820,633-1.5%
7Cooper Park$806,457-2.2%
8Northeast$758,636-5.1%
9New Hyalite View$742,095+0.2%
10Bozeman Creek$653,777-2.1%

Cities like Bozeman

Livingston, MT67 · RisingMissoula, MT71 · RisingBelgrade, MT62 · RisingHamilton, MT70 · Rising

Run the numbers for Bozeman

ToolCan I afford Bozeman?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Bozeman rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Bozeman to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolBozeman cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
33° / 14°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
84° / 53°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
196
~54% of year
Annual precip
15″ rain
48″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Moderate
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Bozeman listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Bozeman area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
60%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$70,800
Montana state median
Top industries (state-level)
TourismMiningAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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