Judith Basin County

Judith Basin County is a rural county in central Montana, situated along the Judith River and spanning portions of the Judith Basin region between the Little Belt Mountains to the south and the Missouri River country to the north. Created in 1920 from parts of Fergus County, it reflects a broader pattern of early 20th-century county formation tied to agricultural settlement and local administration on the northern Great Plains. The county is small in population, with only a few thousand residents, and is characterized by low-density communities and extensive open land. Its economy is anchored in dryland farming and cattle ranching, supported by related services and small local businesses. The landscape includes rolling prairie, irrigated river bottoms, and views of nearby mountain ranges, contributing to a strong land-based cultural identity shaped by agriculture and frontier-era history. The county seat is Stanford.

Judith Basin County is a rural county in central Montana, encompassing communities such as Stanford (the county seat) and Hobson. The county lies within Montana’s agricultural and rangeland region between the Little Belt Mountains and the Missouri River breaks.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Judith Basin County, Montana, the county’s population was 2,072 (2020 Census).

Age & Gender

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, the county’s age and gender profile includes:

• Persons under 5 years: 4.1%
• Persons under 18 years: 17.9%
• Persons 65 years and over: 24.7%
• Female persons: 47.1% (implying 52.9% male)

Racial & Ethnic Composition

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, the racial and ethnic composition includes:

• White alone: 94.6%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 2.0%
• Asian alone: 0.1%
• Two or more races: 3.2%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 1.3%

Household Data

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, household characteristics include:

• Households: 911
• Persons per household: 2.22
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: 79.7%

Housing Data

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, housing indicators include:

• Housing units: 1,129
• Median value of owner-occupied housing units: $165,600
• Median gross rent: $618

Local Government Reference

For local government and planning resources, visit the Judith Basin County official website.

Judith Basin County is a sparsely populated, largely rural county in central Montana, where long distances between homes and service nodes can constrain fixed broadband buildout and make digital communication more dependent on available terrestrial or wireless infrastructure.

Direct county-level email usage statistics are not typically published; email adoption is commonly inferred from proxy indicators such as broadband subscription and device access reported in survey data. The most relevant benchmarks come from the U.S. Census Bureau data portal, which includes county tabulations for household broadband subscriptions and computer ownership (key prerequisites for routine email use).

Age structure can materially shape email adoption: older median ages and larger senior shares generally correlate with lower rates of some digital activities and higher need for accessible, supported connectivity. County age distribution and population characteristics are available through Judith Basin County demographic profiles.

Gender composition is usually near parity in county estimates and is typically a secondary driver of email access relative to connectivity, devices, and age.

Connectivity limitations in rural Montana commonly include fewer provider choices, longer last-mile distances, and service quality variability; local context is reflected in Judith Basin County government resources and statewide broadband planning materials.

Judith Basin County is a sparsely populated, largely rural county in central Montana, with small communities (including Stanford, the county seat) separated by long distances of agricultural land and rolling plains near the Little Belt Mountains. Low population density, rugged topography in portions of the county, and long backhaul distances are structural factors that commonly reduce the number of cell sites, increase coverage gaps, and constrain mobile broadband performance relative to urban Montana.

County context affecting mobile connectivity (rurality, terrain, density)

• Rural settlement pattern and distance between towns: Large coverage areas per tower are typical in rural counties, which increases the likelihood of weak in-building signal and “no service” pockets between highways and communities.
• Terrain effects: Even modest mountainous or hilly terrain can block line-of-sight propagation, producing sharp coverage changes over short distances.
• Backhaul and infrastructure economics: Fewer customers per mile of fiber/microwave backhaul can slow network upgrades and limit capacity during peak hours.

Primary geographic and demographic reference points for the county are available via the U.S. Census Bureau’s county profile tools (population, density, housing, commuting): U.S. Census Bureau (Census.gov).

Network availability vs. adoption (important distinction)

• Network availability describes whether carriers report that an area is covered by a given technology (voice/LTE/5G) at a specified signal and reliability threshold.
• Adoption describes whether residents actually subscribe to mobile service and/or use mobile broadband as their primary or supplementary internet connection.

County-level reporting often measures availability more consistently than adoption; adoption is frequently reported at broader geographies (state, multi-county regions) or as modeled estimates.

Mobile network availability (coverage and technologies)

4G LTE availability

• In rural Montana counties, 4G LTE is typically the dominant mobile broadband layer and is the baseline technology for smartphone connectivity, including voice-over-LTE in most modern networks.
• The most widely used public source for carrier-reported LTE coverage and service availability is the FCC’s broadband availability data and mapping program:
  • FCC National Broadband Map (mobile broadband availability by provider and technology)
  • FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC) (methodology and data resources)

Limitation: The FCC mobile availability layers are based on provider submissions and standardized propagation modeling; they indicate where service is reported available outdoors and in vehicles, not guaranteed on-the-ground performance. County-wide “percent covered” can mask gaps in valleys, behind terrain, and inside buildings.

5G availability

• 5G in rural counties is commonly available in a limited form and footprint compared with urban corridors. Where present, it is often:
  • Low-band 5G (broad coverage, modest speed improvements over LTE), or
  • Mid-band 5G in more limited areas (higher capacity, smaller footprint than low-band).
• The most consistent way to verify 5G availability at county and sub-county scale is through:
  • FCC National Broadband Map (mobile layers)

Limitation: Public datasets do not consistently disclose whether 5G is low-band or mid-band at a fine spatial resolution for every carrier in every rural county. Provider marketing maps can provide additional context but are not standardized for cross-provider comparison.

Mobile penetration or access indicators (where available)

County-specific “mobile penetration” is not typically published as a single, official metric. The closest county-level indicators commonly used are:

• Households with cellular data plans and device access from the American Community Survey (ACS), which includes measures such as:
  • households with a cellular data plan, and
  • households with smartphones and other computing devices.

These indicators can be accessed through the Census Bureau’s ACS tables and county profiles:

• data.census.gov (ACS internet/computing device tables)

Limitation: ACS estimates for small-population counties can have wider margins of error and may be suppressed or less stable for some detailed breakouts. When available, these figures reflect household adoption, not network availability.

Mobile internet usage patterns (practical usage in rural counties)

Typical usage roles for mobile broadband

In rural Montana counties, mobile broadband generally appears in three adoption patterns (measured via household survey questions and observed in broadband planning documents):

• Smartphone-centric internet use: Smartphones used for most day-to-day connectivity (messaging, navigation, social platforms, telehealth portals, and some streaming).
• Supplementary connection: Mobile data used as a backup when fixed broadband is slow/unavailable or during travel.
• Home internet substitution: Mobile hotspots or fixed wireless alternatives used where wired broadband is limited.

County-specific proportions for these patterns are not consistently published; the best standardized adoption indicators remain ACS household measures on cellular data plans and device ownership:

• ACS internet subscription and device data (data.census.gov)

Performance and reliability considerations (availability vs experience)

• Coverage does not equal capacity: An area mapped as covered can still have limited throughput or high latency due to spectrum constraints, tower loading, and backhaul limitations.
• Indoor coverage challenges: Rural tower spacing and terrain can reduce indoor reliability in some locations even where outdoor coverage is reported.

Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)

The most standard public measures of device types come from ACS household “computer and internet use” tables, which track:

• Smartphone availability in the household
• Tablet or other portable wireless computer
• Desktop/laptop
• No computing device

These data are accessible via:

• ACS device type tables (data.census.gov)

General pattern in the U.S. and Montana is that smartphones are the most prevalent personal access device, with laptops/desktops more common in households with fixed broadband. County-specific device mix should be taken directly from ACS tables due to variability and survey uncertainty in small counties.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage in Judith Basin County

The most relevant factors supported by standardized public datasets are:

• Population density and settlement dispersion: Lower density tends to correlate with fewer towers and more variable service between towns and along secondary roads (availability constraints). Population and density statistics are available from:
  • U.S. Census Bureau
• Age structure: Older populations often show different adoption patterns for smartphones and mobile-only internet. Age distribution is available via:
  • ACS demographic tables (data.census.gov)
• Income and affordability: Household income and poverty levels are associated with subscription choices, including reliance on mobile-only service. Relevant ACS socioeconomic tables are available via:
  • ACS income and poverty tables (data.census.gov)
• Commuting and travel corridors: Counties with long-distance commuting and significant highway travel often have higher demand for continuous mobile coverage along major routes, while coverage off main corridors can remain uneven. Commuting patterns are available through:
  • ACS commuting tables (data.census.gov)
• Topography and land use: Agricultural expanses and mountainous edges influence tower placement and propagation. Base geography can be referenced through:
  • U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Montana broadband planning and supplemental context

State broadband offices often compile planning documents that contextualize rural connectivity constraints (terrain, backhaul, coverage gaps) and summarize available datasets used for grant programs. Montana’s state broadband resources are available through:

• Montana State Broadband Office (broadband.mt.gov)

Limitation: State broadband documents may discuss regional or statewide patterns rather than publishing county-specific mobile adoption rates.

Summary: what can be stated at county level with high confidence

• Availability (networks): Carrier-reported LTE and 5G availability for Judith Basin County can be examined at fine geographic resolution using the FCC National Broadband Map. These layers describe where service is reported available, not actual user experience.
• Adoption (households): Household access indicators such as cellular data plans and smartphone presence are most consistently sourced from the American Community Survey on data.census.gov, with the caveat that small-county estimates can have larger uncertainty.
• Usage and devices: Smartphones are typically the primary mobile access device; tablets/laptops appear in ACS device tables. County-specific device distributions should be taken directly from ACS tables to avoid overgeneralization.
• Key influencing factors: Rurality, low density, and localized terrain variation are the primary structural determinants of coverage variability, while age and income distributions commonly influence adoption and reliance on mobile-only connectivity.

Judith Basin County is a sparsely populated, largely rural county in central Montana, with Stanford as the county seat and an economy tied to agriculture, ranching, and small-town services. Low population density, long travel distances, and reliance on local networks tend to concentrate social media use around community information-sharing (events, schools, weather, road conditions), local commerce, and keeping in touch with family members who live elsewhere.

User statistics (penetration and active use)

• County-specific social media penetration rates are not published in major national datasets (most reputable sources report at the U.S. or state level rather than county level). The most defensible baseline for Judith Basin County is therefore the U.S.-level adult adoption pattern, with rural places typically tracking slightly lower than urban/suburban areas but following the same platform hierarchy.
• Nationally, a large majority of U.S. adults use at least one social media site, with usage varying by age and other demographics according to the Pew Research Center’s Social Media Fact Sheet.

Age group trends

National survey findings consistently show age as the strongest predictor of intensity and platform mix:

• Highest overall usage: Adults 18–29 (highest adoption across most major platforms).
• Broad mainstream usage: Adults 30–49 (high overall usage; more Facebook/Instagram and YouTube, growing use of LinkedIn in working-age groups).
• Lower overall usage: Adults 50–64 and 65+, with Facebook and YouTube remaining the most common platforms among older adults.
• Source basis: age-pattern summaries in the Pew Research Center social media fact sheet and related Pew survey reporting.

Gender breakdown

• At the national level, women are more likely than men to use certain social platforms (notably Pinterest), while other platforms show smaller gender gaps and some skew male depending on the platform and topic community.
• Pew reports platform-by-platform gender differences in its Social Media Fact Sheet, which serves as the best available benchmark in the absence of county-level measurement.

Most-used platforms (with percentages from reputable national surveys)

County-specific platform shares are not published by major survey organizations, but national adoption provides a reliable reference for what tends to dominate in rural counties:

• YouTube: ~83% of U.S. adults
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• WhatsApp: ~29%
  (Percentages from the Pew Research Center Social Media Fact Sheet; figures are periodically updated as new survey waves are released.)

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and platform preferences)

• Community-information utility dominates: In rural counties, Facebook pages/groups are commonly used for local announcements, community events, school activities, lost-and-found posts, and informal marketplace activity, reflecting the platform’s group/event features and broad age coverage (pattern consistent with Pew’s findings that Facebook remains widely used across age groups).
• Video as a primary format: High national penetration of YouTube aligns with how-to content, news clips, weather and agriculture-related video, and entertainment, which are format-efficient in areas with fewer in-person options and long travel times.
• Age-driven platform specialization:
  • Younger adults concentrate more engagement on Instagram and TikTok (short-form video, messaging, creator content).
  • Older adults concentrate on Facebook (community ties, family updates) and YouTube (passive consumption and instructional content).
• Engagement cadence tends to be event- and season-driven: Rural community engagement often spikes around weather events, road conditions, school sports, county fair season, and agricultural cycles, which map naturally to sharing/forwarding behavior on Facebook and viewing behavior on YouTube rather than constant high-frequency posting.

Sources used for measurable statistics: Pew Research Center’s Social Media Fact Sheet (platform adoption and demographic splits).

Judith Basin County family and associate-related public records include vital records (birth and death certificates) maintained at the state level by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Vital Records office, with local issuance support through the county clerk/recorder. Adoption records are generally handled through state courts and child welfare authorities rather than county open-record systems and are typically restricted.

Online public databases commonly available to the public focus on property and court-related associations rather than vital events. Recorded documents (deeds, mortgages, liens, and other instruments used to establish relationships, ownership, and contacts) are filed with the county clerk/recorder and may be searchable through the county office. Court case information (civil, criminal, family/dissolution, and probate) is available through the Montana Judicial Branch’s public portal, which provides docket-level access statewide.

In-person access is provided at the Judith Basin County Clerk and Recorder’s office for recorded documents and related indexes, and at the Judith Basin County courthouse clerk’s office for court files that are not sealed. Online access points include the Judith Basin County Clerk and Recorder, the Judith Basin County site, the Montana DPHHS Vital Records page, and the Montana Judicial Branch.

Privacy restrictions commonly apply to birth records, adoption records, sealed court matters, and certain identifying information; certified copies of vital records generally require proof of eligibility.

Record types maintained

Marriage records

• Marriage licenses and applications: Created when a couple applies for permission to marry. In Montana, marriage licenses are issued at the county level.
• Marriage certificates / returns: The completed “return” (proof the marriage was solemnized and the license was completed) is filed with the issuing county and becomes the county’s official marriage record.

Divorce and annulment records

• Divorce case records: Divorce actions are filed as civil cases in the Montana District Court serving the county. Records commonly include pleadings, orders, and the final decree (Judgment/Decree of Dissolution).
• Annulment case records: Annulments are also District Court civil cases (typically termed a decree of invalidity/annulment) and are maintained with the case file in the same manner as divorces.

Where records are filed and how they are accessed

Marriage (Judith Basin County)

• Filing/maintenance: The Judith Basin County Clerk of District Court functions as the county official who issues and records marriage licenses and maintains the completed marriage records for marriages licensed in Judith Basin County.
• Access: Requests are handled through the Clerk of District Court’s office. Access typically consists of obtaining a certified copy (or other authorized copy format) of the marriage record maintained by the county.

Divorce and annulment (Judith Basin County)

• Filing/maintenance: Divorce and annulment matters are filed and maintained by the Montana District Court for the judicial district that includes Judith Basin County; the Clerk of District Court is the court record custodian for case files, including final decrees.
• Access:
  • Court clerk access: Copies of decrees and other non-restricted filings are obtained from the Clerk of District Court as the official custodian.
  • Online court docket access: Montana provides statewide public access to many court case registers through Montana District Court Public Access: https://courts.mt.gov/News/Public-Access. Availability of specific documents varies; a docket entry may be visible even when the underlying document is restricted or not imaged.

State-level vital records context

• Montana maintains a statewide vital records program through the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), Vital Records: https://dphhs.mt.gov/vitalrecords. County records remain the primary source for Judith Basin County-issued marriage records and Judith Basin County court-filed divorce/annulment case records.

Typical information contained in the records

Marriage license / marriage record

Common elements in county marriage records include:

• Full names of spouses (including prior names where reported)
• Date and place of marriage (and/or date license issued; date returned/recorded)
• Ages or dates of birth (varies by form/version)
• Residence at time of application
• Officiant name and title and/or authority to solemnize
• Witnesses (when required/recorded)
• License number, filing/recording information, and county of issuance

Divorce decree / judgment of dissolution

Common elements in final divorce decrees and case files include:

• Names of parties and case number
• Court and venue (judicial district and county)
• Date of filing and date of judgment/decree
• Findings regarding dissolution and status restoration (name change provisions when granted)
• Provisions regarding children (parenting plan/custody, child support), when applicable
• Property division and debt allocation
• Spousal maintenance (alimony), when applicable
• References to incorporated agreements and prior orders

Annulment decree / decree of invalidity

Common elements include:

• Names of parties and case number
• Legal basis for annulment/invalidity and findings
• Orders regarding children, support, and property allocation when applicable
• Date and terms of final decree

Privacy, confidentiality, and legal restrictions

• Public record framework: Montana generally provides public access to government records, including many court records, subject to constitutional privacy protections and statutory limits.
• Sealed/restricted court records: Portions of divorce and annulment case files may be confidential, redacted, or sealed by law or court order. Commonly restricted categories include:
  • Information involving minors
  • Certain family law evaluations, protected reports, and sensitive exhibits
  • Protected addresses and safety-related information in cases involving protective orders
  • Records sealed by a judge for privacy or safety reasons
• Access to certified vital records: Requests for certified copies of marriage records and related vital record products may be subject to identity verification and eligibility rules under Montana vital records practices, even where basic index-style information may be publicly observable through court or county processes.
• Redaction requirements: Court filings and issued copies may be subject to redaction of sensitive identifiers (such as Social Security numbers) consistent with court rules and privacy protections.

Judith Basin County is a sparsely populated rural county in central Montana, anchored by Stanford (the county seat) and a network of small towns and ranching communities. The county’s population is older than the state average and widely dispersed across large agricultural land areas, shaping service access, commuting patterns, and housing stock. Baseline demographic and community context is tracked in the U.S. Census Bureau’s data.census.gov profiles and the QuickFacts for Judith Basin County.

Education Indicators

Public schools and school names

• Judith Basin County is served primarily by small K–12 districts centered on local towns. A current school-by-school listing is maintained via the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) School Directory (most authoritative for school counts and official names).
• Commonly recognized public systems in the county include:
  • Stanford School District (Stanford Public Schools) (Stanford)
  • Hobson School District (Hobson Public Schools) (Hobson)
    Note: The exact number of operating school sites varies by how districts report elementary/high school buildings versus combined K–12 campuses; OPI directory is the definitive source for current site counts.

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

• Student–teacher ratios: Countywide ratios are not consistently published as a single metric because districts are very small and staffing can be shared across grades and roles. District-level ratios are reported through OPI district reporting and the federal NCES Common Core of Data. In practice, rural Montana districts commonly operate with small class sizes and mixed-grade staffing.
• Graduation rates: Montana reports 4-year cohort graduation rates through OPI. County-level graduation rates can fluctuate substantially year-to-year due to very small cohort sizes in rural districts. The most reliable presentation is the OPI reporting for the relevant high school(s) rather than an averaged county metric (see OPI accountability/reporting resources linked through Montana OPI).

Adult educational attainment

• Adult attainment is tracked in the American Community Survey and summarized in QuickFacts. Key indicators typically reported include:
  • High school diploma or higher (age 25+)
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+)
• The county generally reflects a rural attainment profile: high school completion is common, while bachelor’s degree attainment tends to be lower than urban Montana counties. Exact current percentages should be taken directly from the latest QuickFacts/ACS release for Judith Basin County.

Notable programs (STEM, CTE, AP)

• In small rural districts, specialized offerings are often delivered through:
  • Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways (agriculture, trades, applied business), supported by Montana’s CTE framework (overview via Montana OPI CTE).
  • Dual credit/college-credit opportunities through Montana University System partnerships (implementation varies by district).
  • Advanced Placement (AP) participation is less consistently available in very small high schools; districts may substitute honors, dual credit, or online coursework where staffing limits AP sections. Course availability is best confirmed through district program guides rather than county aggregates.

School safety measures and counseling resources

• Montana districts commonly implement multi-layered safety practices (controlled entry, visitor procedures, emergency operations planning) aligned with state guidance and local law enforcement coordination. State-level guidance is maintained through OPI’s school climate/safety resources (see Montana OPI).
• Counseling and student support in small districts typically includes school counseling services, referral pathways to regional behavioral health providers, and participation in statewide initiatives related to suicide prevention and student wellness. Staffing levels vary by district and enrollment size; the most accurate staffing/service picture is district-reported.

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent year available)

• The most current county unemployment rates are published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS). Judith Basin County’s latest figures are available through the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics program (county tables updated regularly).
• In general, rural Montana counties show seasonal variation tied to agriculture, construction, and tourism-related demand; annual averages provide the clearest year-over-year comparison.

Major industries and employment sectors

• The county’s economic base is dominated by:
  • Agriculture (crop and livestock production) and related services
  • Local government and education (schools, county services)
  • Health care and social assistance (often small clinics/long-term care access via nearby regional hubs)
  • Retail trade and basic services supporting local households and ranch operations
• Sector employment shares are reported in the ACS “Industry” tables and can be referenced via data.census.gov.

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

• Occupational patterns typically reflect:
  • Management/business and office support (county administration, school administration, local businesses)
  • Transportation and material moving (farm/ranch logistics, trucking)
  • Construction and extraction (construction trades; limited extraction footprint compared with some Montana regions)
  • Service occupations (health support, food service, personal services)
  • Farming, fishing, and forestry (a larger share than state/national averages)
• The ACS “Occupation” tables provide the most recent county distributions (ACS occupation profiles).

Commuting patterns and mean commute time

• Commuting is characterized by:
  • High rates of driving alone and limited public transit options typical of rural counties.
  • Moderate-to-long commute times for residents working in larger trade/service centers outside the county, with many trips occurring along highway corridors to regional hubs.
• The most recent mean travel time to work and mode split are reported in ACS commuting tables via data.census.gov.

Local employment vs. out-of-county work

• A notable share of residents work outside the county due to the limited number of large employers locally. The best available measurement is the Census LEHD/OnTheMap “inflow/outflow” analysis, which shows where residents work versus where local jobs are filled from: Census OnTheMap.

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership rate and rental share

• Judith Basin County’s housing tenure is predominantly owner-occupied, consistent with rural Montana counties where single-family homes and agricultural homesteads dominate. The latest homeownership and rental shares are published in ACS housing tables and summarized in QuickFacts.

Median property values and recent trends

• Median owner-occupied home value is reported in ACS and QuickFacts. Rural Montana markets generally saw value increases over the past several years, with variability driven by limited inventory, demand for rural properties, and broader statewide housing dynamics.
• County-level trend confirmation should use ACS 1-year/5-year comparisons and Montana-specific market context from the Montana Department of Revenue (property valuation framework) alongside ACS medians.

Typical rent prices

• The ACS provides median gross rent at the county level. Rental markets in very small counties can be thin (few multi-unit buildings and limited listings), so medians may reflect small sample sizes and year-to-year volatility. The most recent county median is available through ACS housing cost tables.

Types of housing

• The housing stock is primarily:
  • Single-family detached homes in Stanford and small towns
  • Rural homes on large lots/acreage, including farm and ranch residences
  • A limited number of apartments/duplexes and small multi-unit rentals, concentrated in town centers
• This pattern is consistent with ACS “Units in structure” distributions for rural counties (ACS units-in-structure tables).

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools or amenities)

• In Stanford and Hobson, housing near the town core generally offers the closest access to schools, post office, local retail, and civic services. Outside town limits, residences are more dispersed, with longer travel times to schools and services and heavier reliance on personal vehicles.
• Countywide amenities are limited compared with metropolitan counties; many specialized services are accessed in larger nearby communities.

Property tax overview (average rate and typical homeowner cost)

• Montana property taxes are administered locally within a statewide classification/valuation system. Typical homeowner tax bills vary based on taxable value, local mill levies (schools, county, and special districts), and exemptions. The authoritative overview of Montana’s property tax structure is maintained by the Montana Department of Revenue.
• A single “average rate” for the county is not consistently published as a simple headline figure because effective tax rates differ by property class and levy area; the most accurate estimate of typical homeowner cost uses local levy information and assessed value data rather than a countywide flat rate.