Bozeman, Montana Ranked Highest In The Nation For Car Rentals

We all know living in Montana isn’t cheap—especially if you’re a local in the Bozeman area. But if you think we’ve got it bad, try visiting during peak season. Tourists are getting absolutely slammed with some of the highest rental car prices in the entire country.

Traveling these days already costs an arm and a leg, but in Montana? The car rental game is next-level. Why? Simple: supply and demand. When summer rolls in, demand skyrockets—and supply just can’t keep up.

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Montana Tops the Nation for Rental Car Prices—And Bozeman's Leading the Pack

According to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport Director Brian Sprenger, the airport sends out around 7,000 rental cars per day on peak weekends. That’s out of a fleet of roughly 10,000 vehicles, which fills 90% of the parking garage and spills into nearby fields.

All that traffic translates to a jaw-dropping $120 million rental car market in Bozeman alone—double what Boise sees. And the prices? Brutal.

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When I checked rates for a one-day rental on July 7, here’s what popped up (with taxes):

Budget: $283.49
Enterprise: $218.75
Hertz: $212.00

Yep. That average is over $1,500 just to rent a car for a week—and that’s not even the luxury models.

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According to a new report from CheapCarRental.com, Bozeman ranks #1 in the U.S. for average daily rental car cost:

Bozeman (BZN): $156/day
Anchorage, AK – $154
Portland, ME – $131
Boston, MA – $112
Spokane, WA – $108

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So next time you see a tourist looking a little sticker-shocked at the rental counter... now you know why.

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