Montana Tops List for Unaffordable Housing by 2030

If you think buying a house in Montana is tough now, strap in. Montana is set to be the least affordable state to buy a home by 2030, according to a new study from HireAHelper. To keep pace, we’d have to make 144 percent more on the job than we already do just to afford a median-priced house. Not twice as much house. Twice as much paycheck.

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This is not just a problem in Bozeman, either. The whole state is getting clobbered. Telecommuters keep moving in, wages haven’t risen, and home prices are on rocket fuel. In 2030, the median Montana house might cost about $932,000, but the income required to purchase one will be roughly $190,000.

California Isn’t Much Better

You’d imagine California would be the worst. It’s close. That amount is expected to be 140 percent higher by 2030 to keep up with home prices, according to that same report. The big one is that California has a higher median income, so it’s still bad, but Montanans are dealing with an even worse whiff.

North Dakota’s the Opposite Story

Now hop next door to North Dakota. Their forecast? Virtually no income growth needed to buy a house by 2030. Same neighborhood, completely different future. It’s downright insulting how much cheaper it is only one state over.

What Does This Mean for Montanans?

Unless wages somehow double in the next five years or housing policy changes big time, the average young homeowner in this state is going to feel like a luxury brand. Sure, California has Hollywood, but Montana is climbing the ranks of the most impossible places to buy a house.