Broadwater
Montana

What stands out

Against every county in America, Broadwater County is unusual in three ways: population growth is in the top 2% of American counties (+3.4% a year), the overdose death rate is in the bottom 4% of American counties (0 per 100,000), and the median home price is in the top 5% of American counties ($532K). Within Montana it ranks 2nd of 56 counties for population growth.

Where you are

You live in Broadwater County, Montana. 6,977 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population grew 3.4% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +261).

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 $61,679 a year, higher than 53% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $45,076. Unemployment runs 3.4%, lower than 52% of American counties. 12% of workers work from home; for the rest the average commute is 22 minutes each way.

Montana takes 4.9% of that median income in state income tax, about $3,034 a year.

Home

The median home costs $532K, pricier than 95% of American counties, about 4.3 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $864 a month. Property tax is 0.62% of home value, roughly $2,083 a year on that median home, lower than 75% of American counties. 83% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.6 per 1,000 residents, lower than 67% of American counties.

A child born here can expect to live 80.3 years, longer than 92% of American counties. There are 7 active physicians in the county, about 10.0 per 10,000 people. 14.4% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.11 where 3.0 is national grade level, higher than 74% of American counties. 93% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 47 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 84% 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 44°F, highs near 56 and lows near 32, colder than 93% of American counties. About 16 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 5 out of 100, safer than 95% of American counties; the county has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 115 Mbps down, slower than 83% of American counties. There are 4 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.8 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.