Property tax by ZIP code in Montana
Enter a Montana ZIP and see the median property tax paid, median home value, and effective tax rate from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey — plus how it compares to the Montana state median.
Look up a Montana ZIP code
Enter a 5-digit Montana ZIP code above to see its property tax data.
ZIP doesn't have ACS data — typically because it's a PO-box-only ZIP, a single-business ZIP, or a small area where the Census suppresses small-sample estimates. Try a nearby ZIP.
ZIP isn't a Montana ZIP code. This page covers Montana only. Other states are launching state by state — check back, or use our state-by-state median page in the meantime.
Montana's effective property-tax rate is moderate — around 0.72% of value statewide. The story behind that number is recent: the 2023 reappraisal raised residential market values sharply, shifting more of the tax base onto homeowners, and the 2025 reform (a new tiered homestead rate) is the response. A key wrinkle is that Montana taxes taxable value, not market value — taxable value is your home's market value multiplied by a class rate.
Enter a 5-digit Montana ZIP to see its median property tax, median home value, and effective rate from the US Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 vintage, plus how it compares to the Montana state and US national medians. The explainer below covers market-value appraisal and class rates, the two-year reappraisal cycle, the property-tax rebate and elderly homeowner/renter credit, the PTAP and disabled-veteran reductions, and the new tiered homestead rate.
How Montana property tax works
In Montana, the Department of Revenue appraises property at market value, but you are not taxed on that figure directly. Your taxable value is market value multiplied by a statutory class rate. Residential property is class four; under MCA §15-6-134 the standard residential rate is 1.9%, with reduced tiers available for a principal residence and long-term rentals (described below). Local taxing jurisdictions — cities, counties, school districts, and special districts — then apply their mill levies to that taxable value, which is why two similar homes in different jurisdictions can owe different amounts.
Montana reappraises class 3, 4, and 10 real property — residential is class four — on a two-year reappraisal cycle (MCA §15-7-111). The 2023 reappraisal lifted residential market values sharply, which moved more of the overall tax base onto homeowners and prompted the 2025 reforms. For relief, the Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit (MCA §§15-30-2337–2341) is refundable and worth up to $1,150 for residents 62 or older with gross household income under $45,000. A separate Property Tax Rebate of up to $675 per year on a principal residence lived in for at least seven months was available for tax years 2022 and 2023 (claimed in 2023 and 2024).
Two programs cut the class rate itself. The Property Tax Assistance Program (PTAP) reduces the rate by 30%, 50%, or 80% on the first $418,000 of a primary residence, based on income; the Montana Disabled Veteran (MDV) program reduces it by 50%, 70%, 80%, or 100% for fully disabled veterans and surviving spouses. The biggest recent change is the new tiered homestead rate (HB 231 / SB 542, signed May 2025): for a principal residence lived in at least seven months, and for long-term rentals, the rate for tax year 2026 runs 0.76% up to $378,000 of value, 0.90% from $378,000 to $756,000, 1.10% from $756,000 to about $1.512 million, and 1.90% above that. Second homes and short-term rentals that don't qualify stay at the flat 1.90% rate. That change is enacted, not proposed.
Why your actual bill differs
The numbers above describe a typical homeowner in this ZIP — not your specific bill. A few things move bills away from the median:
- Market value vs. taxable value. You are taxed on taxable value (market value × class rate), not the appraised market value, so the headline value and the figure that drives your bill are not the same number.
- Overlapping mill levies. Your bill stacks city, county, school-district, and special-district mills, so two similar homes in different jurisdictions can owe different amounts.
- Relief programs. The elderly homeowner/renter credit, PTAP and the disabled-veteran reduction (which cut the class rate), and the new tiered homestead rate on a principal residence each pull a qualifying owner's bill below the median.
Montana has no single statewide bill lookup — each county treasurer collects locally. Yellowstone County's online tax-payment site (Billings) is a working example; for other counties, search your county treasurer's property-tax page.
Methodology
Data on this page comes from the US Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 vintage (released January 29, 2026), at the ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) level. After filtering ZCTAs the Census suppresses for privacy or small-sample reasons, this page covers 296 Montana ZIPs.
Topcoding in Montana. The Census caps median property tax at $10,000, reporting anything higher as $10,001. In Montana topcoding is essentially absent — typical bills stay below the cap — so the figures here are true medians.
See the full methodology page for source details (Census table IDs, the comparison-median rule, calculator formulas), how we handle topcoding across every state, and the refresh cadence.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the median tax in my ZIP different from what I pay?
Median is the middle of the distribution, not your bill. Montana appraises at market value, but you're taxed on taxable value (market value × class rate) and your bill stacks several overlapping mill levies. The elderly credit, PTAP, disabled-veteran reduction, and the new tiered homestead rate move qualifying owners further from the median.
Why might my ZIP show $10,001 as the median tax?
That's the Census topcode for privacy, but it's essentially absent in Montana — typical bills stay under the $10,000 cap, so the figures here are true medians.
Where do I find my actual Montana property tax bill?
Through your county treasurer. Montana has no statewide portal; each county collects its own. Yellowstone County's online tax-payment site (Billings) is a working example.
When does Montana data update on this page?
Annually, when the Census Bureau releases a new ACS 5-year vintage. The 2020–2024 vintage released January 29, 2026. The next vintage (2021–2025) typically follows the next year, though the Census has not yet posted its release date.
Why don't you cover other states yet?
State-by-state rollout. Each state needs its own context section (assessment method, exemptions, local taxing structure) to be genuinely useful. High-search-volume states are going live first.