Chouteau
Montana

What stands out

Three things set Chouteau County apart from the other 3,142 counties: the school test score is in the top 3% of American counties (3.56 where 3.0 is grade level), the overdose death rate is in the bottom 4% of American counties (0 per 100,000), and home internet speed is in the bottom 4% of American counties (63 Mbps). Within Montana it ranks 2nd of 46 counties for the school test score.

Where you are

You live in Chouteau County, Montana. 5,897 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population shrank 1.0% last year, and more Americans moved out than in (net -32).

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 $51,791 a year, lower than 75% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $44,304. Unemployment runs 2.3%, lower than 90% of American counties. 12% of workers work from home.

Montana takes 4.8% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,475 a year.

Home

The median home costs $316K, pricier than 72% of American counties, about 2.3 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $553 a month. Property tax is 0.79% of home value, roughly $1,356 a year on that median home, lower than 57% of American counties. 68% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.9 per 1,000 residents, higher than 53% of American counties.

A child born here can expect to live 77.7 years, longer than 72% of American counties. There are 0 active physicians in the county, about 0.0 per 10,000 people; the nearest doctor is in another county. 14.1% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.58 where 3.0 is national grade level, higher than 97% of American counties. 92% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 13 points. 68% 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 45°F, highs near 59 and lows near 32, colder than 90% of American counties. About 13 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 6 out of 100, safer than 94% of American counties; the county has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 63 Mbps down, slower than 96% of American counties. There are 5 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.9 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.