Your life in Beaverhead County, Montana

What stands out

Against every county in America, Beaverhead County is unusual in three ways: the average temperature is among the coldest in America (41°F), the restaurant count per person is in the top 6% of American counties (1.5 per 1,000), and life expectancy is in the top 7% of American counties (80.6 years). Within Montana it ranks 2nd of 56 counties for the average temperature, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Beaverhead County, Montana. 9,469 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population grew 1.4% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +165).

Montana has no sales tax and a two-bracket income tax with a top rate of 5.65% for 2026. It taxes Social Security above income thresholds. Home prices in Bozeman, Missoula and the Flathead Valley roughly doubled between 2019 and 2023 as remote workers arrived, and the state passed a package of zoning reforms in 2023 to add housing supply. Wildfire smoke is now a regular late-summer feature.

Money

The typical household here brings in $55,867 a year, lower than 65% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $48,480. Unemployment runs 2.3%, lower than 89% of American counties. 8% of workers work from home.

Montana takes 4.8% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,705 a year.

Home

The median home costs $404K, pricier than 86% of American counties, about 3.7 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $663 a month. Property tax is 0.64% of home value, roughly $1,791 a year on that median home, lower than 72% of American counties. 66% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.5 per 1,000 residents, lower than 69% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 13 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 80.6 years, longer than 93% of American counties. There are 22 active physicians in the county, about 23.2 per 10,000 people. Medicare rates the local hospitals 2.0 of 5 stars. 12.3% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.13 where 3.0 is national grade level, higher than 67% of American counties. 94% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 29 points. 73% of eligible voters turned out. Under Montana law you can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, abortion is protected by state law, and marijuana is legal for adults.

Weather and risk

The year averages 41°F, highs near 52 and lows near 29, colder than almost every county in America. About 20 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 18 out of 100, safer than 82% of American counties; the county has had 6 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 190 Mbps down, slower than 54% of American counties. There are 5 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 1.5 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 1 brewery, 1 National Park Service site.

Where these numbers come from

• BLS QCEW 2024
• CDC 2024
• CMS 2024
• Census 2023
• Census ACS
• Census ACS 2022
• Census Population Estimates 2023
• Census SAHIE 2024
• County Health Rankings 2024
• Derived from ACS 2022 home value / household income
• FAA Airport Database
• FEMA Disaster Declarations 1953–2026
• FEMA National Risk Index 2023 (0–100, all hazards)
• HRSA Area Health Resources File 2023
• IMLS
• NOAA Climate Normals
• National Park Service
• Ookla Speedtest Intelligence
• Open Brewery DB
• OpenElections 2024
• SEDA via County Health Rankings 2024 (3.0 = at grade level; not a Z-score)
• Tax Foundation 2023
• USDA Food Environment Atlas
• Zillow ZHVI 2024
• Montana tax and law data: state revenue department, Tax Foundation, Giffords, Guttmacher (2026)

Percentiles compare this county with every other county that reports the same figure. Missing figures are left out rather than guessed. Share this page: the address is permanent.