6 Most Expensive Homes in Montana (with Pictures)

Montana is one of the most highly sought-after states in the US when it comes to real estate. This is especially true following Covid and as more people work from home and place a greater value on their living space. Home to sprawling ranches as well as luxury estates, you can get a lot of space and heaps of luxury for your money in Big Sky Country. The average property price in Montana is nearly $400,000 with the three most expensive cities being Bigfork, Hamilton, and Whitefish.

There is currently a lack of homes coming up for sale in Montana, which has not only pushed prices up but means that there is something of a lack of big price sales.

The state is also one of few that has a “non-public disclosure of real estate sales price” law, so there are no public records of property sale prices. Unless the buyer wishes to disclose the purchase price, it can be very difficult to determine what a home sold for. However, we have found the following six properties that have sold for considerable sums of money in recent years and make up six of the most expensive homes in Montana.

The 6 Most Expensive Homes in Montana

1. Beaverhead Ranch

Beaverhead Ranch was bought in 2021 by Rupert Murdoch and his wife Jerry Hall. The pair bought the 340,000-acre estate from the Matador Cattle Company, which is a part of Koch Industries. The ranch spreads 50 miles and crosses two counties.

It includes 25 homes on the estate, primarily housing those that work on the estate and manage the cattle, and it also includes a 28-mile-long trout-filled creek. It is an exceptional property that houses thousands of cows, elks, and deer, as well as hundreds of antelope. While this isn’t Murdoch’s first ranch purchase, as he has estates in California and New South Wales, it is by far his largest.

2. Climbing Arrow Ranch

While Beaverhead Ranch eclipses the size of this estate, Climbing Arrow Ranch is hardly small, with 80,000 acres of land. The property sold for $136 million and was the fourth most expensive home sold in the US in 2021. It has guest houses and employee accommodation, as well as a main house, and it was featured in the Robert Redford and Brad Pitt movie A River Runs Through It.

The property was on the market less than a week before selling

3. Broken O Ranch

Stan Kroenke bought the 124,000-acre estate called Broken O Ranch. Real estate prices in Montana have increased more than 20% in the past couple of years, which means that if the Broken O Ranch were to come up for sale today, it would likely overtake the Climbing Arrow Ranch and potentially have as much value as the Beaverhead Ranch.

As well as being a functioning ranch, Broken O Ranch features a 10,000-square-foot mansion and overlooks the Rocky Mountains.

4. Crazy Elk Ranch

The Crazy Elk Ranch sold for $28 million in 2021. This 3,700-acre estate has its own stretch of Douglas Fir Forest and includes an eight-bedroom mansion that also includes nine bathrooms and an in-ground hot tub. There is also a three-bedroom guest home, a barn, and a hunting cabin on the grounds, as well as an additional property meant to serve as the ranch manager’s home. It even has its own 2.3-mile-long gravel driveway.

5. 1065 Lakeside Boulevard

1065 Lakeside Boulevard is the first home on the list that might actually be considered a home rather than a commercial ranch. But that doesn’t make it any less extraordinary. The Lakeside property has six bedrooms and six bathrooms, comprises more than 16,000 square feet, and nearly 6 acres of land. There’s a western bar, a pool table, and a theater, as well as an avalanche fireplace that has glass panels that retract completely into the surrounding stone walls.

As well as the six main bedrooms, there is a guest apartment that is situated above the two-car garage and has two bedrooms.

6. Northpass Ranches

The exact sale price of this 146-acre ranch is unclear but the property was listed for $12.9 million and sold in early 2022. The main house is an open-plan conversion with a huge stone fireplace. There is a four-bedroom guest house, and the ranch even includes nearly 15,000 square feet of indoor riding arena with stalls, kitchen, and tack room. The purchase also includes miles of riding trails, several ponds, and a large stock of wildlife.

Conclusion

Montana is an open and stunning state that is not only home to some of the country’s most impressive ranches but some exceptional skiing and snowboarding slopes. Real estate prices in the state have rocketed in the past few years, especially as wealthy potential buyers are looking for increased living space as they work from home and value their homes more than ever. Above are six of the most expensive Montana homes sold, although there are likely to be some that have sold for higher prices, but it is one of few states where property prices are undisclosed publicly.

Featured Image Credit: Anne Kitzman, Shutterstock