Living in the dorms may not exactly be “ideal” living conditions with the tight spaces, disrespectful residents, and restricting rules. However, some see this as a small price to pay compared to the incredibly scarce housing available off campus.

The figure above compares the supply and demand for housing here in Gallatin County. As observed, there is far less housing available than demanded. The shortage in off-campus housing available for students is much more than an inconvenience. Many students cannot afford to live on campus and many have pets which are not allowed in the dorms. However, due to the increasing demand for housing in the Bozeman area, prices are rising. Price change is a result of an increase in quantity demanded. As mentioned in the Bozeman Chronicle, “Rents have gone up a lot faster than inflation in the past few years. In addition to the unyielding demand for rentals, increasing construction costs are resulting in high rent prices.” Unfortunately, this is because the market is trying to come back down to equilibrium. Unfortunately, though, it is hard to see that the market for rentals will decrease, especially during the school year and with a growing MSU population.