Montana Property Tax Calculator 2026

How Montana Property Tax Works

Property tax in Montana is an annual tax levied on real estate by local governments — primarily counties, municipalities, and school districts. The amount you owe is your property's taxable value — a small percentage of its market value — multiplied by the local mill levy. On average, Montana homeowners pay 0.61% of their home's value in property tax each year, 0.33 percentage points below the U.S. figure of 0.94%.

The effective rate combines all local levies: county tax, municipal tax, school district tax, and any special assessments. Because Montana has multiple taxing jurisdictions, your actual rate depends heavily on where in the state your property is located. The 0.61% figure is all real-estate tax paid on owner-occupied homes in Montana divided by their total value, as published in the Tax Foundation's Property Taxes by State and County, 2026 from Census Bureau American Community Survey data for 2020–2024. It is a statewide average — not a rate any single jurisdiction charges, and not your bill.

The Census Bureau puts the median owner-occupied home in Montana at $375,800 and the median real-estate tax bill at $2,693 a year — roughly $224 per month when paid through a mortgage escrow account (American Community Survey, 2020–2024).

Who Collects Property Tax in Montana — and How Rates Are Set

In Montana the Department of Revenue — not a county assessor — classifies and values property, the Legislature sets the tax rates that turn market value into taxable value, and local governments and voters set the mill levies. Your county treasurer works out the bill from those numbers, mails it (typically in late October) and collects the tax.

Mill levies are set each year from local budgets and are expressed as dollars of tax per $1,000 of taxable value — not market value. Montana works in two steps: market value × the class tax rate = taxable value, then taxable value × mills ÷ 1,000 = general property tax. For an enrolled primary residence the 2026 tax rate is 0.76% on the first $378,000 of market value, so a $350,000 home has a taxable value of just $2,660, and every 100 mills levied on it costs $266 a year. Residential values are reappraised every two years; the 2025–2026 cycle uses market value as of 1 January 2024. If your home's market value rises faster than neighboring properties, your share of the tax burden can increase even if the mill levy stays the same.

To find your exact rate, look your property up on Property.MT.gov or contact your local Department of Revenue field office. Your most recent property tax bill will also show the breakdown of all levies applied to your parcel.

Montana Property Tax Exemptions and Relief Programs

Montana's main homeowner relief works through lower tax rates rather than a fixed-dollar exemption. A primary residence you live in at least seven months a year, or a long-term rental, can be enrolled for the homestead reduced rate: in tax year 2026, 0.76% on the first $378,000 of market value, 0.9% from there to $756,000, 1.1% from there to $1,512,000 and 1.9% above that, against a flat 1.9% for second homes, short-term rentals and other residential property that is not enrolled. On top of that, the Property Tax Assistance Program cuts the rate by 80%, 50% or 30% for owner-occupiers with federal adjusted gross income up to $29,943 (single) or $40,131 (married or head of household) on the table posted for tax year 2027; the Montana Disabled Veteran program cuts it by 50% to 100% for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability and their unmarried surviving spouses; and homeowners or renters aged 62 or older with household income under $45,000 can claim the Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit of up to $1,150 on their income tax return. Source: Montana Department of Revenue — Property Tax Assistance Hub.

The disabled-veteran reduction requires a letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs showing a 100% service-connected disability, and both it and the Property Tax Assistance Program are income-tested, with tables the Department of Revenue updates each year for inflation; applications are due by 15 April. Qualified agricultural land and forest land are classified separately from residential property and carry their own tax rates. If you disagree with the value or classification on your notice, file a Request for Informal Classification and Appraisal Review (Form AB-26) within 30 days of the date on the notice, or appeal directly to your county tax appeal board within the same 30 days.

To apply for any exemption, contact your local Department of Revenue field office. Most exemptions require an annual or one-time application and proof of eligibility (residency, age, disability documentation, etc.).

Tips to Manage Your Montana Property Tax Bill

First, verify your assessment is accurate. Review your property record on Property.MT.gov and check for errors in square footage, bedroom/bathroom count, or lot size. Even small errors can inflate your assessed value and tax bill. If the assessment seems high, look up recent sale prices of comparable homes in your neighborhood and file an appeal if warranted.

Second, enroll for every program you qualify for. In Montana the first step is the homestead reduced rate on the home you live in, then the Property Tax Assistance Program, the disabled-veteran program and the Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit. Third, if your mortgage servicer handles tax payments through escrow, review your escrow statement annually. Servicers sometimes over-estimate and hold excess funds — you may be entitled to a refund. Finally, Montana property tax is paid in two halves: the first by 5 p.m. on 30 November, or 30 days after the tax notice is postmarked if that is later, and the second by 5 p.m. on 31 May. Owners of a primary residence can ask their county treasurer by 30 September for a schedule of seven monthly payments from November to May instead. Late payments carry a 2% penalty plus interest of 5/6 of 1% a month (MCA 15-16-102 and 15-16-122).

Montana Taxes a Primary Residence Differently From a Second Home or Short-Term Rental

Montana no longer applies one residential rate to every house. Under HB 231 and SB 542, passed in 2025, a home enrolled as a principal residence (lived in at least seven months a year, with property taxes paid up) or as a long-term rental (let for 28 days or more at a time, at least seven months a year) is taxed on a tiered schedule from tax year 2026: 0.76% on the first $378,000 of market value, 0.9% from there to $756,000, 1.1% from there to $1,512,000 and 1.9% above that. Second homes, short-term rentals, vacant residential lots and any home that is simply not enrolled are taxed at a flat 1.9%. On a $350,000 house that is a taxable value of $2,660 at the homestead rate against $6,650 at the flat rate — at the same mill levy, 2.5 times the tax. Enrollment is through the Department of Revenue, not the county: owners who received the 2025 property tax rebate and still own and live in the same home were enrolled automatically, everyone else has to apply. Enrollment for tax year 2026 closed on 20 March 2026; applications for tax year 2027 are open until 1 March 2027. If you bought a home that was not enrolled and lived in it for at least seven months of 2026, you may qualify for a refund of the difference, claimed between 1 January and 31 May 2027 once the 2026 tax is paid in full. Check whether your home is enrolled before assuming the estimate above matches your bill. Rates: Montana Department of Revenue — 2026 property tax information; enrollment and verification: Homesteads and long-term rentals. Updated October 2026.