Custer
Montana

What stands out

Three things set Custer County apart from the other 3,142 counties: rainfall is in the bottom 8% of American counties (17 inches a year), high-school completion is in the top 9% of American counties (94%), and the restaurant count per person is in the top 13% of American counties (1.2 per 1,000). Within Montana it ranks 21st of 56 counties for rainfall, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Custer County, Montana. 11,957 people live here with you. The population held steady at 0.1% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +29).

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 $61,114 a year, higher than 52% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $50,339. Unemployment runs 2.4%, lower than 86% of American counties. 5% of workers work from home.

Montana takes 4.9% of that median income in state income tax, about $3,002 a year.

Home

The median home costs $252K, pricier than 56% of American counties, about 2.5 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $881 a month. Property tax is 1.06% of home value, roughly $2,127 a year on that median home, higher than 64% of American counties. 67% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.4 per 1,000 residents, lower than 76% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 13 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 75.8 years, longer than 50% of American counties. There are 21 active physicians in the county, about 17.6 per 10,000 people. Medicare rates the local hospitals 5.0 of 5 stars. 11.2% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 2.96 where 3.0 is national grade level, lower than 59% of American counties. 94% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 34 points. 65% 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 47°F, highs near 60 and lows near 34, colder than 86% of American counties. About 17 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 36 out of 100, safer than 64% of American counties; the county has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 187 Mbps down, slower than 56% of American counties. There are 2 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 1.2 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 1 brewery, 3 museums.