Broadwater County is a rural county in west-central Montana, situated along the Missouri River corridor between the Helena Valley to the west and the northern approach to the Yellowstone region to the southeast. Created in 1897, it developed around transportation routes and irrigated agriculture in the river valley, with nearby mountain ranges shaping settlement and land use. The county is small in population, with roughly 6,000–7,000 residents, and includes a mix of small towns, ranchlands, and public lands.

The county seat is Townsend, which serves as the primary service and government center. Broadwater County’s landscape features broad valleys, river bottoms, and adjacent foothills and mountains, supporting cattle ranching, hay production, and outdoor recreation tied to fishing, boating, and hunting. Its economy and culture reflect a predominantly rural character, with local employment centered on agriculture, government services, construction, and small businesses.

Broadwater County Local Demographic Profile

Broadwater County is a sparsely populated county in south-central Montana, situated along the Missouri River corridor and centered on the county seat of Townsend. For local government and planning resources, visit the Broadwater County official website.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Broadwater County, Montana, the county’s population was 6,162 (2020 Census).

Age & Gender

County-level age distribution and sex composition are published by the U.S. Census Bureau in the county profile. The most direct reference point is the “Age and Sex” section in QuickFacts: Broadwater County, Montana, which reports:

  • Age distribution (share under 18, 18–64, and 65+)
  • Median age
  • Sex composition (female and male shares)

Racial & Ethnic Composition

The U.S. Census Bureau reports county-level race and Hispanic/Latino origin in the “Race and Hispanic Origin” section of QuickFacts: Broadwater County, Montana, including:

  • Race categories (e.g., White, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Two or More Races)
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

Household and Housing Data

Household structure and housing characteristics for Broadwater County are reported in the “Housing and Households” and related sections of QuickFacts: Broadwater County, Montana, including:

  • Number of households
  • Average household size
  • Owner-occupied housing rate
  • Median value of owner-occupied housing units
  • Median selected monthly owner costs (with and without a mortgage)
  • Median gross rent
  • Housing unit counts

For additional county-level tables (including American Community Survey profiles used by QuickFacts), the U.S. Census Bureau’s data.census.gov portal provides downloadable datasets and profile tables for Broadwater County, Montana.

Email Usage

Broadwater County is a rural county centered on Townsend, with low population density and mountainous terrain that can increase the cost and complexity of last‑mile networks; this tends to shape how residents rely on email for government, school, and commerce communications.

Direct county-level email usage rates are not routinely published, so broadband and device access serve as proxies, using indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS). Key measures include household broadband subscription and computer ownership, which correlate strongly with regular email access; lower adoption in either category typically constrains email use, especially for webmail and attachments.

Age structure also matters: older populations generally show lower adoption of newer digital services, so Broadwater’s age distribution from ACS demographic tables is a practical proxy for relative email uptake. Gender distribution is not a primary driver of email access compared with broadband, device availability, and age, but it is available in the same ACS profiles.

Connectivity limitations in the county are commonly linked to rural service territories and terrain; federal program context is documented by the FCC National Broadband Map and the NTIA broadband programs.

Mobile Phone Usage

Broadwater County is in south‑central Montana, anchored by the county seat of Townsend along the Missouri River corridor between Helena and Bozeman. The county is predominantly rural, with mountainous terrain (including the Big Belt Mountains) and broad valleys. Low population density and topographic shadowing are key factors affecting mobile coverage, particularly away from the Interstate 90/US‑287 travel corridors and outside river valleys.

Key limitations and how the overview is organized

County-specific, carrier-reported mobile coverage is available from federal mapping sources, but county-level “mobile phone penetration” (such as the share of residents with a mobile subscription) is not typically published for an individual county in the same way it is for states or the nation. Household adoption indicators are generally available at the county level for internet subscriptions in the home (including cellular data plans) rather than for mobile phone ownership specifically. This overview separates:

  • Network availability (coverage): where mobile service is reported as available.
  • Household adoption (use/subscription): what households report subscribing to, which can include cellular data plans as a home internet source.

Network availability (coverage) in Broadwater County

Primary public sources: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) publishes provider-reported mobile broadband coverage maps and downloadable datasets used to evaluate where 4G LTE and 5G services are reported as available. The most direct reference points are the FCC’s mobile coverage map and the underlying Broadband Data Collection (BDC) resources:

What the FCC coverage data represents (important for interpretation):

  • Coverage is provider-reported and model-based, typically representing predicted outdoor signal availability under defined parameters.
  • Coverage does not equal service quality at a given location; capacity, congestion, indoor reception, and terrain can materially affect real-world performance in mountainous rural areas.

4G LTE availability:

  • In rural Montana counties such as Broadwater, 4G LTE is generally the baseline mobile broadband layer, with stronger continuity along highways and population centers and more fragmented coverage in mountainous areas and remote public lands. FCC map layers are the authoritative, updateable source for current provider-reported 4G LTE availability in specific parts of the county.

5G availability:

  • 5G availability in rural counties is often concentrated in and around towns and along major travel corridors, with large differences by provider. The FCC map distinguishes provider-reported 5G coverage, but the presence of a 5G coverage footprint does not indicate that all 5G variants (e.g., high-capacity mid-band or mmWave) are deployed; rural deployments are commonly lower-band 5G with broader reach but less dramatic speed gains.
  • County-level 5G coverage characterization should be derived directly from the FCC map for Broadwater County’s geography, since carrier footprints change over time.

Household adoption (internet subscription indicators, including cellular data plans)

Primary public source: the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) includes county-level measures of household internet subscription types. This is the most commonly used source to distinguish households using:

  • cable/fiber/DSL,
  • satellite,
  • and cellular data plans (as a household internet subscription type).

Relevant Census references:

How to interpret “cellular data plan” in ACS:

  • The ACS “cellular data plan” measure indicates a household reports a cellular data plan for internet access. It does not equate to smartphone ownership, and it can include hotspots or fixed-wireless-like use cases via mobile networks.
  • The ACS measures adoption (subscription) rather than availability; households may live in covered areas yet not subscribe, or may subscribe but experience limitations due to signal quality or data caps.

County-level mobile penetration (phone ownership/subscriptions):

  • A direct county-level mobile phone “penetration rate” is not typically published as an official statistic for Broadwater County. National and state-level mobile subscription indicators exist in other datasets, but they are not generally standardized to the county level for public reporting in a way comparable to ACS household subscription types. For county analysis, ACS household internet subscription types serve as the closest widely used proxy for mobile-internet adoption in the home.

Mobile internet usage patterns: rural dynamics (4G vs 5G and typical use cases)

Distinguishing availability vs. usage:

  • Availability: FCC-reported 4G/5G coverage indicates where mobile broadband is offered.
  • Usage patterns: In rural counties, mobile data is commonly used in two overlapping ways:
    1. Personal mobile connectivity (smartphones on the go).
    2. Substitute or supplement home internet (cellular data plans used when wired broadband is limited, costly, or unavailable).

Typical rural usage characteristics relevant to Broadwater County (data-driven, non-speculative framing):

  • Where wired broadband options are limited, the share of households reporting cellular data plans as their internet subscription tends to be higher than in dense urban settings; this is measurable in the ACS for Broadwater County via data.census.gov.
  • Performance tends to vary sharply with terrain and tower siting; valleys and corridors usually experience more consistent service than mountainous areas.

Speed/technology notes:

  • 4G LTE generally provides more uniform rural coverage than 5G, while 5G—where deployed—may improve speeds and latency but can remain patchy outside population centers. Verification for specific locations is best supported by the FCC map’s provider-by-provider layers rather than generalized claims.

Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)

County-specific device-type shares are not typically published. The ACS and most county-level federal datasets focus on subscription and access rather than enumerating device ownership (smartphone vs. basic phone vs. tablet) at the county level.

What can be stated with available public data:

  • Smartphones are the dominant device class nationally for mobile internet access, but a definitive percentage for Broadwater County is not established in standard county tables.
  • In rural counties, hotspots and fixed-location cellular routers (using a cellular data plan) appear indirectly in ACS reporting when households list cellular data plans as their internet subscription type. This indicates some level of non-smartphone cellular internet usage in the home, but not the device breakdown.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage and connectivity in Broadwater County

Geography and terrain

  • Mountainous terrain and variable elevation can reduce line-of-sight propagation and create coverage gaps, producing localized “shadow” areas even when a broader region is reported as covered.
  • Settlement patterns concentrated in towns and along major routes typically correlate with stronger network buildout; sparse settlement increases per-user infrastructure cost, affecting network density.

Population density and land use

  • Lower density increases distances between cell sites and reduces the economic incentive for dense small-cell deployments, which are more commonly associated with high-capacity 5G in urban areas.

Household broadband alternatives (adoption influence)

  • Household adoption of cellular data plans as internet access is shaped by the availability and affordability of fixed broadband alternatives. This relationship is measurable by comparing ACS household subscription types with FCC fixed broadband availability layers (fixed broadband layers are also accessible via the FCC National Broadband Map).

Local and state planning context

  • State broadband planning resources provide context on challenges and investments affecting rural connectivity. Montana’s statewide broadband coordination information is summarized through the Montana Department of Commerce broadband resources (program structure and planning documents vary over time).

Recommended authoritative sources for Broadwater County-specific figures (availability vs. adoption)

Summary (availability vs. adoption)

  • Availability: Broadwater County’s mobile broadband availability is best represented through the FCC’s provider-reported 4G LTE and 5G coverage layers; rural terrain and low density are major determinants of coverage continuity and quality.
  • Adoption: The most reliable county-level indicator of mobile-related internet adoption is the ACS household measure for cellular data plan subscriptions, which reflects household use of mobile networks for internet access but does not measure phone ownership directly.
  • Device types: County-level splits between smartphones and other mobile devices are not reliably published in standard public county datasets; ACS provides subscription-type signals rather than device inventories.

Social Media Trends

Broadwater County is a small, largely rural county in south‑central Montana, anchored by the county seat of Townsend and influenced by outdoor recreation around Canyon Ferry Lake and the Missouri River corridor. Employment and daily life tied to government services, small businesses, agriculture/ranching, and recreation contribute to social media use patterns that tend to emphasize community information-sharing, local events, and marketplace activity typical of rural counties.

User statistics (penetration and active use)

  • Local (county-specific) social media penetration: No authoritative, regularly published dataset provides Broadwater County–specific social media penetration/active-user rates. County-level estimates are not reported in major U.S. benchmarks such as Pew.
  • State and national benchmarks used as proxies (most reliable public sources):
    • U.S. adults using social media: ~69% of U.S. adults report using at least one social media site (Pew Research Center). See Pew Research Center’s Social Media Fact Sheet.
    • Montana context (connectivity constraint): Rural usage is often shaped by broadband availability. Montana broadband access and adoption context is tracked through federal reporting, including the FCC National Broadband Map (useful for understanding infrastructure constraints that can influence platform mix and engagement).

Age group trends (who uses social media most)

Using Pew’s U.S. adult benchmarks (commonly used where local data are unavailable), social media use typically skews younger:

  • 18–29: highest usage (Pew consistently reports the highest adoption in this group across platforms)
  • 30–49: high usage, generally second-highest
  • 50–64: moderate usage
  • 65+: lowest usage, but meaningful presence on certain platforms (notably Facebook) Source for age-by-platform patterns: Pew Research Center’s platform demographic tables.

Gender breakdown

County-specific gender splits are not published in standard public datasets. Nationally, Pew reports platform-specific gender skews more than an overall “any social media” gender gap:

Most-used platforms (percent using each platform)

No reputable public source reports platform market share within Broadwater County. The most defensible approach is to cite U.S. adult usage rates and note that rural areas commonly over-index on community-oriented platforms (especially Facebook). Pew’s latest fact-sheet estimates (U.S. adults) include:

  • YouTube: ~83%
  • Facebook: ~68%
  • Instagram: ~47%
  • Pinterest: ~35%
  • TikTok: ~33%
  • LinkedIn: ~30%
  • X (Twitter): ~22%
  • Snapchat: ~27%
  • WhatsApp: ~29%
    Source: Pew Research Center’s Social Media Fact Sheet (figures vary slightly by survey wave/year; Pew tables provide the current set).

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and preferences)

Patterns most applicable to rural counties like Broadwater, supported by national research on platform behavior and rural audiences:

  • Community information utility is a primary driver: Facebook Groups and local pages commonly function as “local bulletin boards” for events, road/weather updates, school activities, and community announcements—an engagement style frequently observed in smaller communities.
  • Marketplace and peer-to-peer commerce: Facebook Marketplace usage is widely reported as strong in non-metro areas due to limited retail variety and longer travel distances to larger shopping centers (behavioral trend widely documented in local-news and platform reporting; not typically quantified at county level).
  • Video consumption is broad-based: High YouTube penetration aligns with across-age video use for how-to content, outdoor recreation, local news clips, and entertainment. Pew documents YouTube as the most widely used platform among U.S. adults: Pew’s YouTube usage statistics.
  • Age-linked engagement differences:
    • Younger adults show higher use of short-form video and creator-driven feeds (TikTok/Instagram), with higher daily visit frequency in many studies.
    • Older adults are more likely to use Facebook for keeping up with family/community, and are less likely to use TikTok/Snapchat (Pew’s age-by-platform tables summarize these differences): Pew platform demographics.
  • Connectivity can shape “where” engagement happens: In areas with variable broadband quality, users often prefer platforms that perform acceptably on mobile connections and that concentrate local information into fewer channels (commonly Facebook). County-level broadband conditions can be referenced via the FCC National Broadband Map.

Family & Associates Records

Broadwater County family-related public records are primarily maintained through Montana’s statewide vital records system rather than at the county level. Birth and death certificates are registered with the state and issued by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), Office of Vital Records; certified copies are generally available only to eligible requesters under state rules. Adoption records are typically sealed and handled through courts and state processes, with limited public access. State information on ordering and eligibility is available from Montana DPHHS Office of Vital Records.

Local associate-related records commonly available in Broadwater County include marriage licenses and recorded documents used to establish relationships or identity (for example, deeds, liens, and some court filings). The Broadwater County Clerk and Recorder maintains recorded land and vital-related filings it is authorized to keep; office access and contact information are posted on the Broadwater County Clerk & Recorder page. Broadwater County District Court case records are managed by the Clerk of District Court; court contact information is listed at Broadwater County Clerk of Court.

Public databases vary by record type. Montana courts provide statewide electronic case search via Montana Judicial Branch eServices/Portals, while many recorded documents are accessed in person or through county-provided search tools when available. Privacy restrictions commonly apply to vital records, adoption files, and certain court matters (for example, juvenile and sealed cases).

Marriage & Divorce Records

Types of records available

  • Marriage licenses (and marriage certificates/returns): Issued by the Broadwater County Clerk of District Court. After the ceremony, the officiant returns the completed license for filing, creating the county’s official marriage record.
  • Divorce decrees (dissolution of marriage): Final divorce orders and related case documents are maintained as District Court civil case records for matters filed in Broadwater County.
  • Annulments (declaration of invalidity of marriage): Annulments are also handled as District Court civil cases and maintained with other court records.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

  • Broadwater County Clerk of District Court (court and vital filing at the county level)

    • Marriage license issuance and filed marriage records are maintained here.
    • Divorce and annulment case files and decrees are maintained here as District Court records.
    • Access is typically provided through the Clerk’s office via in-person request, mail request, and, for court cases, case search/record copies according to local procedures and court rules.

  • Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), Vital Records (state-level vital record copies)

    • The state maintains certified copies of marriage records and certified copies of divorce records for Montana events, subject to state eligibility rules and identity verification requirements.
    • Annulments are generally treated as court actions; the state’s vital records system may reflect changes depending on how the court order is processed, but the underlying annulment file and order remain court records.

  • Montana Judicial Branch (statewide court case information)

    • Montana courts provide access to certain case register/docket information and documents through the state court record systems and courthouse records, subject to confidentiality and sealing rules.
    • Official certified copies of decrees and other filings are issued through the Clerk of District Court.

Typical information included in these records

  • Marriage licenses/records

    • Full names of both parties (including prior names, as recorded)
    • Date and place of marriage (ceremony date/location)
    • Age/date of birth and residence at time of application (as captured on the license)
    • Officiant’s name/title and signature
    • Date of license issuance and filing/recording information
    • Witness information may appear depending on the form used

  • Divorce decrees (final judgments)

    • Case caption (party names), court, county, and case number
    • Date of decree and judge’s signature
    • Findings and orders dissolving the marriage
    • Terms addressing legal issues such as property/debt allocation, maintenance (spousal support), parenting plan/custody, child support, and name change (when applicable)
    • Associated filings in the case file may include petitions, affidavits, notices, financial disclosures, and orders

  • Annulment orders

    • Case caption, court, county, and case number
    • Findings supporting invalidity of the marriage under Montana law
    • Order declaring the marriage invalid and addressing related relief (which may include property or parenting provisions when applicable)
    • Related pleadings and supporting documents in the case file

Privacy or legal restrictions

  • Vital records restrictions (marriage and divorce certificates)

    • Montana treats certified vital record copies as controlled records, typically requiring identity verification and limiting issuance to eligible requesters under state law and DPHHS rules.
    • Genealogical or informational access may be more limited than court access to nonconfidential case registers.

  • Court record restrictions (divorce/annulment case files)

    • District Court records are generally public, but confidential information is protected under Montana law and court rules.
    • Common restrictions include redaction or limited access to sensitive data (for example, Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and protected addresses) and special confidentiality protections in cases involving minors, abuse/neglect, or protected persons.
    • A court may seal specific documents or limit access by order; sealed materials are not available to the public except as authorized by the court.

  • Certification and evidentiary use

    • Official proof for legal purposes generally requires certified copies issued by DPHHS Vital Records or the Clerk of District Court (for court judgments), with certification indicating authenticity and the custodian of record.

Education, Employment and Housing

Broadwater County is in southwestern Montana along the I‑90 corridor between Helena and Bozeman, with Townsend as the county seat. The county is largely rural with a small‑town service center (Townsend) and substantial ranchland and recreation land around the Missouri River and nearby mountain ranges. Population size and growth are modest relative to nearby Gallatin County, and many households interact economically with the Helena and Bozeman labor markets.

Education Indicators

Public schools and school names

Broadwater County is primarily served by Broadwater County School District (Townsend Schools). The main public schools commonly listed for the district include:

  • Townsend Elementary School
  • Townsend Middle School
  • Townsend High School

A consolidated, authoritative school count by campus can vary by source and reporting year; district-level directories and state listings provide the most consistent reference point. The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) maintains district and school information in its reporting tools and profiles (see the Montana Office of Public Instruction).

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

  • Student–teacher ratio: County- or district-specific student–teacher ratios are typically reported through state accountability reporting and federal school datasets; widely used public aggregates often provide a district ratio rather than a countywide ratio. In rural Montana districts, ratios frequently fall in the low-to-mid teens (students per teacher); this is a proxy range rather than a district-certified statistic.
  • Graduation rate: Montana’s statewide 4‑year high school graduation rate is published annually by OPI; Broadwater/Townsend district graduation statistics are reported through state accountability systems and can be referenced through OPI’s public reporting. A single “county graduation rate” is not consistently published as a standalone measure in the same way as district and school rates.

Adult education levels (highest attainment)

Broadwater County’s adult attainment profile is commonly summarized in U.S. Census Bureau products:

  • High school diploma or higher (age 25+): reported in the ACS 5‑year county tables.
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+): reported in the ACS 5‑year county tables.

For the most recent county estimates, use the Census Bureau’s county profile and ACS tables for Broadwater County on data.census.gov (ACS 5‑year provides the most stable county-level estimates for sparsely populated areas).

Notable programs (STEM, vocational, AP)

District-level offerings in small rural districts typically include:

  • Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways (commonly agriculture, trades, business/technology, and applied skills), often coordinated with regional programs.
  • Dual credit and/or college coursework partnerships (commonly via Montana University System affiliates), reported by districts and the state.
  • Advanced Placement (AP) availability varies year to year in smaller high schools; in rural Montana it is common for schools to offer dual enrollment as an alternative or complement to AP.

Program specifics are best verified through district course catalogs and OPI CTE reporting rather than county summaries, because offerings can change with staffing and enrollment.

School safety measures and counseling resources

  • Montana districts generally operate under board-approved school safety plans, including visitor procedures, emergency drills, coordination with local law enforcement, and crisis response protocols; details are typically found in district policy manuals and school handbooks.
  • Student support services in rural districts often include school counseling (academic and social-emotional support) and referrals to community mental health providers; staffing levels are usually reported at the district level rather than in county demographic products.

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent available)

Broadwater County unemployment is reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) and the state labor agency. The most current monthly and annual averages are available via:

(County unemployment can be volatile month-to-month in small labor markets; annual averages are typically used for year-over-year comparisons.)

Major industries and employment sectors

Broadwater County’s employment base reflects a rural service center with public-sector and resource-related activity. The most consistently reported county sector mix (ACS and state LMI) generally includes:

  • Public administration and education/health services (county, city, and school district employment; public safety; health and social assistance)
  • Construction (often elevated in growth periods and during regional housing expansion)
  • Retail trade and accommodation/food services (local services and travel through the I‑90 corridor region)
  • Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (ranching and associated support services)
  • Transportation/warehousing and utilities (regional connectivity and commuting-related activity)

The most comparable sector shares by county are available in ACS “industry by occupation” tables on data.census.gov and in state workforce dashboards.

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

Occupational composition in Broadwater County typically mirrors rural Montana patterns:

  • Management, business, and financial
  • Education, healthcare, and social services
  • Construction and extraction; installation/maintenance/repair
  • Service occupations (food service, building and grounds, personal care)
  • Sales and office
  • Transportation and material moving

County-level occupation shares are reported by ACS (occupation tables) on data.census.gov.

Commuting patterns and mean commute times

  • Broadwater County’s commuting commonly includes in-county work in Townsend and out-of-county commuting to Helena (Lewis and Clark County) and Bozeman/Belgrade area (Gallatin County) due to limited local job base relative to nearby metros.
  • Mean travel time to work is reported in ACS commuting tables and is the standard reference for county commute time.

Local employment vs out-of-county work

  • The county functions partly as a residential community for regional employment, with a notable share of workers traveling to neighboring counties for work.
  • The most direct measures are ACS “county of work” and “journey to work” tables and state LMI commuting flow products; these sources provide the best available estimates of in-county vs out-of-county employment.

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership rate and rental share

Broadwater County tenure is reported in ACS housing tables:

  • Owner-occupied share and renter-occupied share are available as county estimates in the ACS 5‑year data on data.census.gov. Rural Montana counties typically have high homeownership relative to urban counties; the precise county percentage should be taken from the most recent ACS 5‑year release.

Median property values and recent trends

  • Median value of owner-occupied housing units is reported by ACS and is the standard countywide statistic.
  • Recent Montana trends generally show price appreciation since 2020, with variability driven by interest rates and regional demand from nearby high-growth counties; Broadwater County trends often track the Helena–Bozeman corridor dynamics but at lower volume.

For the official county median value estimate, use ACS “median value (dollars)” tables on data.census.gov. For market-trend context, local MLS summaries provide transaction-based measures, but those are not standardized public statistics.

Typical rent prices

  • Median gross rent is published in ACS and is the most comparable county rent indicator.
  • Rental stock is comparatively limited in many rural counties; rents can show higher volatility due to small sample sizes and low vacancy.

The county’s median gross rent is available via ACS tables on data.census.gov.

Types of housing

Broadwater County housing is characterized by:

  • Predominantly single-family detached homes and manufactured homes
  • Rural residential lots and ranchettes outside Townsend
  • A smaller share of multifamily units (apartments/plexes) concentrated in or near Townsend

ACS housing structure type tables provide county shares by unit type.

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools/amenities)

  • Housing closest to schools, grocery and civic services is concentrated in Townsend, where the main school campuses and municipal amenities are located.
  • Outside Townsend, neighborhoods are more dispersed with larger parcels, greater reliance on private vehicles, and longer travel times to services.

These are descriptive land-use patterns; standardized neighborhood-level metrics are limited for small counties and are typically not published in ACS at a fine geographic scale.

Property tax overview (average rate and typical homeowner cost)

Montana property taxes are administered locally with state rules; the most comparable public measure of homeowner property tax burden is:

  • Median real estate taxes paid (dollars) for owner-occupied homes (ACS).
  • Effective tax rates vary by taxing jurisdiction, mills, and assessed value class; countywide “average rate” is not consistently reported as a single standardized percentage across public datasets.

For county-level homeowner property tax costs, use ACS “median real estate taxes paid” on data.census.gov. For statutory and administrative context, see the Montana Department of Revenue property tax resources.

Table of Contents

Other Counties in Montana