What goes up, must come down is something that applies to gravity and the housing market in Montana. And while Montana residents have had housing prices and affordability at the top of mind for at least three to five years, economists say that while the prices are coming down — they’re moving slowly.

That means that housing remains a stubborn problem unlikely to get solved anytime soon without seismic shifts in the market or supply because the average home price still far outpaces the average resident’s ability to pay.

During the semi-annual tour around the state of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana, economists said that while there’s room for more optimism in 2026, the reality is different: Home prices have remained steadily out of reach.