Missoula, Montana Housing Market

How much can you negotiate in Missoula?

Only 48 out of every 100 homes for sale have found a buyer. The other 52 are still waiting. Your offer may be the only one on the table. Few sellers are dropping their price. Asking prices are holding firm. Your discount will come from one stale listing, not from the whole market.

A typical Missoula home takes 54 days to find a buyer. Half of them take even longer. That is 35% slower than a year ago. Those sellers are paying to own a house they want to sell. Search for homes listed 60+ days ago. There are 328 homes for sale in Missoula. That is 7.8 times the tightest month on record, but below the peak of 424. Supply is steady against last year.

What to do about it

• Start in 59808, 59802, and 59803. Those are the three softest ZIP codes in Missoula.
• Filter for homes listed 60+ days ago that have already cut their price.
• Offer below the reduced price.
• Keep your inspection and financing contingencies.
• In 59808 only 42 out of 100 homes have a buyer. You can lose a few offers there and still win.

Is now a good time to buy in Missoula?

Asking prices are 6.2% below their Apr 2022 peak. You are not buying at the top. Prices are rising again. Every month you wait costs money. The question is no longer when. It is which house. Missoula prices have risen in 92 of the last 108 months. Drops here have been short and shallow. Buying in a slow month has rarely hurt a long hold.

This market is turning. Which way is not settled yet. Check the monthly numbers above before you commit.

Who will rent from you in Missoula?

In Missoula, 46 out of every 100 households rent. That is nearly half. That share has held steady for five years. Just 5.6% of homes sit empty. A well-priced rental fills fast here.

The median Missoula household earns $74,733 a year. Incomes here have grown 7.1% a year since 2019. Incomes are rising faster than home prices. Affordability is improving. A typical home costs 9.7 times the median income. Most locals cannot buy. That keeps rental demand deep. It also caps the rent they can pay. A tenant on the median income can pay about $1,868 a month. That is the standard 30% affordability line. Rents above it thin your tenant pool fast.

What numbers should you underwrite a Missoula deal with?

• Price growth to assume — +5.2%/yr. 1 year: +1.3% · 5 years: +5.2% · ten years: +8.4%. Do not use the ten-year rate. Most of that growth landed in the 2020 and 2021 boom. The five-year rate is what Missoula does without one. Underwrite closer to +5.2%. Measure growth per square foot, not on the median. The median moves when the mix of listed homes moves. Your house does not. The one-year rate is a timing signal. It is not an underwriting input.
• Months of carrying cost — 2. A typical home takes 54 days to sell. Budget that long when you exit or refinance. It is 35% slower than a year ago.
• Odds you cut your price to sell — 1 in 8. About 13% of homes on the Missoula market right now have already cut their asking price. Assume you are one of them when you sell. Do not underwrite an exit at your asking price.
• Comp on this, not median price — $354/sqft. The average listing runs +36% above the median. Luxury homes skew it. Comp your own size class per sqft.
• Competition when you exit — +2%. The number of homes for sale barely moved in a year. Today's comps are a fair guide to your exit.
• Price-to-income ratio — 9.7×. A typical home costs 9.7 times the median income. Most locals cannot buy. That keeps rental demand deep. It also caps the rent they can pay. Incomes are rising faster than home prices. Affordability is improving.
• Tenant rent ceiling — $1,868/mo. 30% of the median household income of $74,733. Rents above this line shrink your tenant pool fast.

Is Missoula a buyer's or seller's market in 2026?

Yes, if you negotiate. Buyers have the upper hand in Missoula right now. 0.48 out of every 100 homes for sale have a buyer, 13% of sellers have cut their price, and a typical home takes 54 days to sell.

Are Missoula home prices going up or down?

Asking prices are 6.2% below their Apr 2022 peak. You are not buying at the top. Prices are rising again. Every month you wait costs money. The question is no longer when. It is which house.

What price growth should I assume for Missoula?

+5.2%/yr. 1 year: +1.3% · 5 years: +5.2% · ten years: +8.4%. Do not use the ten-year rate. Most of that growth landed in the 2020 and 2021 boom. The five-year rate is what Missoula does without one. Underwrite closer to +5.2%. Measure growth per square foot, not on the median. The median moves when the mix of listed homes moves. Your house does not. The one-year rate is a timing signal. It is not an underwriting input.

How fast are homes selling in Missoula?

A typical Missoula home takes 54 days to find a buyer. Half of them take even longer. That is 35% slower than a year ago. Those sellers are paying to own a house they want to sell. Search for homes listed 60+ days ago.

Is Missoula a renters' market or an owners' market?

In Missoula, 46 out of every 100 households rent. That is nearly half. That share has held steady for five years. Just 5.6% of homes sit empty. A well-priced rental fills fast here.

What rent can Missoula tenants afford?

A tenant on the median income can pay about $1,868 a month. That is the standard 30% affordability line. Rents above it thin your tenant pool fast. The median Missoula household earns $74,733 a year.

Which Missoula ZIP code has the most negotiating room?

59808. Only 42 out of 100 homes there have a buyer, 16% have cut their price, and a typical home takes 58 days to sell.