Moving from Missouri to Montana
Moving to Montana on the same salary slightly lowers your real buying power (-4.5%); you'd need about $74,100 to break even. Change the salary below to see your own numbers.
Equal salary in MT: $74,100
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $74,100 in Montana to match $70,000 in Missouri ($4,100 more), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $70,000 | Missouri | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $6,570 | $6,570 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $5,355 | $5,355 |
| State income tax | $2,306 | $2,594 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $0 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $55,769 | $55,481 |
Key facts: Missouri to Montana
- Median rent
- $1,067 → $1,177/mo
- Median home value
- $254,400 → $425,400
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 90.8 → 94.6
- Road distance
- ≈ 1,320 miles
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Among the highest → Above average
What changes when you move to Montana
- Your state taxes rise by about $288 a year on the same $70,000 salary.
- BEA's housing price index is 21% higher in Montana. Median rent goes from $1,067 to $1,177 a month and the median home value from $254,400 to $425,400.
- Homeowners pay more property tax: the median bill is $2,939 in Montana vs $2,021 in Missouri.
- The average home electric bill is $108 a month in Montana vs $129 in Missouri (EIA 2024), about $255 a year less.
Who moves from Missouri to Montana
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 198 households (332 people) filed their taxes in Montana after filing in Missouri the year before. That makes Montana the #42 destination for people leaving Missouri. These households reported an average adjusted gross income of $57,338. Going the other way, 241 households moved from Montana to Missouri, a net loss of 43 households for Montana.
Five-year trend
Moves from Missouri to Montana peaked in 2021–22 at 236 households, then fell 16% by 2022–23. That is still down 6% from 2018–19.
Source: IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23.
Cost to move from Missouri to Montana
Moving cost: $910–$12,060
Moving about 1,320 miles from Missouri to Montana costs roughly $910 – $12,060, depending on how much of the work you hire out.
Distance between the states' population centers by road (estimate).
| Moving method | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) Truck rental, taxes and fees. Add fuel, damage coverage, lodging and your time. | $910 – $3,970 |
| Moving container You pack and load; the company drives the container. | $1,750 – $4,510 |
| Full-service movers Packing, loading, transport and unloading. | $2,820 – $12,060 |
These ranges are based on summer (peak-season) quotes. A move between October and April usually costs less: peak prices run 20–30% higher.
A rental truck also burns about 132 gallons of fuel over this distance. One-way truck rental prices depend on direction: a truck headed where many people are moving often costs more than the same trip in reverse.
Ranges combine 198 published quote ranges on 22 interstate routes (moveBuddha, retrieved 2026-09-24) with 47 independent published prices from U-Pack, HireAHelper and Move.org, which raised the top of several ranges. They are not quotes; get at least three written estimates.
Alaska and Hawaii ranges come from published carrier rates and moving quotes, dated in each row (Matson's household-goods rates, U-Pack, Royal Hawaiian Movers). See how we estimate.
Shipping a car from Missouri to Montana
Car shipping: $1,000–$1,470
Shipping a sedan from Missouri to Montana on an open carrier costs about $1,000–$1,470, typically 3–7 days in transit over about 1,320 miles.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published Hawaii and Alaska rates. SUVs cost about 25% more and enclosed carriers about 35% more. Not a quote.
Missouri vs Montana take-home pay at every salary
| Salary | Equal salary in MT | Take-home change | Take-home in MO | Take-home in MT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $52,600 | -$226 | $40,987 | $40,762 |
| $75,000 | $79,400 | -$343 | $59,059 | $58,716 |
| $100,000 | $105,800 | -$619 | $75,510 | $74,891 |
| $150,000 | $158,800 | -$1,001 | $107,678 | $106,677 |
| $250,000 | $265,300 | -$1,951 | $172,369 | $170,418 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. "Equal salary" keeps the same after-tax buying power.
Cost of living: Missouri vs Montana
| Measure | Missouri | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 90.8 | 94.6 |
| Housing price index | 69.9 | 84.6 |
| Utilities price index | 79.4 | 72.3 |
| Goods price index | 96.3 | 96.0 |
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,067 | $1,177 |
| Median home value | $254,400 | $425,400 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $2,021 | $2,939 |
| Electricity (residential) | 16.22¢/kWh | 15.14¢/kWh |
| State sales tax rate | 4.225% | 0% |
| Median household income | $71,589 | $75,340 |
Renting and buying: Missouri vs Montana
| Measure | Missouri | Montana |
|---|---|---|
| Income to rent the median home (30% rule) | $42,680 | $47,080 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $1,655 | $2,632 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $70,941 | $112,817 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,676 | $1,617 |
| Infant child care (center, yearly) | $13,780 | $15,080 |
Mortgage at the Freddie Mac 30-year average with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance that owners with a mortgage paid in 2024 (Census ACS). Premiums have risen in most states since then, so get quotes. See buying a home in Montana for other down payments.
Your yearly budget: Missouri vs Montana
On a $70,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $39,003 a year in Missouri and $41,429 in Montana if you rent: $2,426 more after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $46,062 and $58,894 ($12,832 more).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | MO | MT | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $70,000, single filer | $14,231 | $14,519 | +$288 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,550 | $1,295 | -$255 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,155 | $975 | -$180 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,003 | $2,212 | +$209 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $7,260 | $8,304 | +$1,044 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent median, 12 months | $12,804 | $14,124 | +$1,320 |
| Total if you rent | $39,003 | $41,429 | +$2,426 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 6.95% | $16,166 | $27,033 | +$10,867 |
| Property tax median home | $2,021 | $2,939 | +$918 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,676 | $1,617 | -$59 |
| Total if you buy | $46,062 | $58,894 | +$12,832 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 state medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).
State figures: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $13,780 a year in Missouri and $15,080 in Montana (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).
Cost of living in Montana cities: Billings.
After you arrive in Montana
- Montana new resident checklist: driver license and vehicle registration deadlines.
- Taxes the year you move: part-year returns in Missouri and Montana.
- How Montana taxes retirement income.
Frequently asked questions
How much salary do I need in Montana to live like I do in Missouri?
A $70,000 salary in Missouri works out to about $74,100 in Montana once 2026 federal and state taxes and BEA regional price levels are counted. At $100,000 it is about $105,800.
Will I pay less tax in Montana than in Missouri?
No, about $288 more a year in income and payroll taxes on a $70,000 salary (20.3% of pay in Missouri vs 20.7% in Montana). Property and sales taxes are shown separately.
How much does it cost to move from Missouri to Montana?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 1,320 miles, expect roughly $910–$3,970 with a rental truck, $1,750–$4,510 with a moving container, or $2,820–$12,060 with full-service movers.
Are more people moving from Missouri to Montana?
Moves from Missouri to Montana peaked in 2021–22 at 236 households, then fell 16% by 2022–23. That is still down 6% from 2018–19.
How many people move from Missouri to Montana?
IRS migration data for 2022–2023 show 198 households (332 people) moved from Missouri to Montana, making Montana the #42 destination for people leaving Missouri. 241 households moved the other way.
Is Montana cheaper than Missouri?
Overall prices in Montana are 4.2% higher than Missouri (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $1,177 vs $1,067 a month.
Compare other moves
Where people from Missouri actually move
- MO to Kansas 10,597 households
- MO to Illinois 7,622 households
- MO to Texas 6,709 households
- MO to Florida 5,034 households
- MO to Arkansas 3,265 households
- MO to California 3,246 households
- MO to Colorado 2,523 households
- MO to Oklahoma 1,826 households