Lake County, MT Average Home Price (2026)

The average home price in Lake County, Montana is about $661,000 (the 2026 median across 11 ZIP codes, at ~$400/sq ft) — 58% more expensive than the Montana median and 129% more expensive than the typical U.S. home.

$661,000
Median home value
$400
Median price / sq ft
11
ZIP codes with data
+58%
vs Montana median

How Lake County compares

Lake County is relatively expensive for housing nationally: its typical home costs $661,000 against $418,500 for Montana and $289,000 for the U.S. Within the county, ZIP-level values run from about $275,000 to $1,138,000.

AreaTypical value$ / sq ft
Lake County$661,000$400
Montana$418,500$280
United States$289,000$193

Lake County home prices by ZIP code

The 11 most valuable ZIP codes in Lake County (of 11 with data):

ZIP codeTypical value$ / sq ftvs county
59931 Rollins$1,138,000$875+72%
59910 Big Arm$893,000$1040+35%
59914 Big Arm$857,000$1427+30%
59911 Bigfork$806,000$492+22%
59915 Elmo$798,000$363+21%
59929 Proctor$661,000$563+0%
59860 Polson$574,000$319-13%
59824 Charlo$557,000$400-16%
59865 Saint Ignatius$540,000$277-18%
59864 Ronan$439,000$298-34%
59855 Ronan$275,000$191-58%

Home value appreciation in Lake County

Home prices in Lake County have risen about 123% over the last 10 years (≈8.3% a year) and +159.4% over 20 years, according to the FHFA house price index through 2025. The most recent year came in at +3.5% — still rising. A home worth $661,000 today was worth roughly $296,413 ten years ago.

+3.5%
1-year change
+76.6%
5-year change
+123.0%
10-year change
+159.4%
20-year change

See where that trend takes a specific home with the home appreciation calculator — statewide, Montana is +105.0% over the same 10 years. Past appreciation is a track record, not a forecast; local prices can fall.

Calculators for Lake County

Run the numbers for Lake County with the local rates already filled in — change any input to test your own situation.

Salary needed to buy a home in Lake County

To buy the typical $661,000 home in Lake County with 20% down, you need a household income of roughly $180,000 a year (about $4,200 a month for the mortgage, taxes, and insurance). With 10% down the bar rises to about $214,000, because the loan is bigger and mortgage insurance kicks in.

Down paymentCash downMonthly paymentIncome needed
5% (+PMI)$33,100$5,220/mo$224,000/yr
10% (+PMI)$66,100$4,990/mo$214,000/yr
20%$132,200$4,200/mo$180,000/yr

Assumes a 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.5%, property tax at 1.1% and insurance at 0.45% of value per year, PMI of 0.75% on loans with less than 20% down, and the standard 28% housing-to-income rule. Your rate, taxes, and HOA will move these — run your own numbers in the mortgage calculator.

What your budget buys in Lake County

At about $400 per square foot, here is roughly how much home different budgets get you in Lake County:

BudgetApprox. sizeWhat that looks like locally
$300k750 sq ftbelow the local median — condos, smaller or older homes
$400k1000 sq ftbelow the local median — condos, smaller or older homes
$500k1250 sq ftbelow the local median — condos, smaller or older homes
$600k1500 sq ftaround the typical home here
$750k1880 sq ftaround the typical home here

Wondering where that budget goes further? The relocation calculator ranks hundreds of U.S. cities by what the same money buys — it opens filtered to Montana.

Estimate a specific home in Lake County

Enter your ZIP and size for an instant estimate tailored to your exact area:

Lake County home prices: frequently asked

What is the average home price in Lake County, MT? +
The typical home in Lake County, Montana is worth about $661,000 as of 2026 (the median across its 11 ZIP codes with data), at roughly $400 per square foot — 58% more expensive than the Montana median of $418,500 and 129% more expensive than the U.S. median.
What salary do you need to buy a house in Lake County? +
For the typical $661,000 home in Lake County, a household income of about $180,000 a year covers the payment with 20% down (a 30-year fixed at 6.5%, plus taxes and insurance, under the 28% rule). With 10% down you need roughly $214,000; with 5% down about $224,000.
Which part of Lake County is most expensive? +
Among the ZIP codes we track, 59931 (Rollins) is the priciest at about $1,138,000 and 59855 (Ronan) the most affordable at about $275,000 — a 4.1× spread inside one county.
Are home values in Lake County going up? +
Over the last 10 years home prices in Lake County changed about +123.0% (≈8.3% a year), and +3.5% in the latest year, according to the FHFA house price index through 2025. Over 20 years: +159.4%. Past gains are not a guarantee of future ones.

Browse all Montana cities and counties, or look up price per square foot by ZIP code nationwide.

Directional estimates from public market data (Realtor.com & Zillow research; FHFA house price index; Census ZIP-to-county relationships), not appraisals.