Fergus
Montana

What stands out

What stands out about Fergus County: the share working from home is in the top 4% of American counties (17%), the overdose death rate is in the bottom 4% of American counties (0 per 100,000), and the restaurant count per person is in the top 7% of American counties (1.4 per 1,000). Within Montana it ranks 9th of 56 counties for the share working from home.

Where you are

You live in Fergus County, Montana. 11,496 people live here with you. The population grew 0.9% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +158).

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 $58,321 a year, lower than 57% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $48,764. Unemployment runs 2.8%, lower than 72% of American counties. 17% of workers work from home.

Montana takes 4.9% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,844 a year.

Home

The median home costs $312K, pricier than 72% of American counties, about 2.1 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $846 a month. Property tax is 0.87% of home value, roughly $1,527 a year on that median home, higher than 50% of American counties. 67% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.3 per 1,000 residents, lower than 81% of American counties.

A child born here can expect to live 77.1 years, longer than 66% of American counties. There are 18 active physicians in the county, about 15.7 per 10,000 people. 11.2% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.01 where 3.0 is national grade level, higher than 53% of American counties. 95% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 42 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 74% 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 58 and lows near 32, colder than 91% of American counties. About 18 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 10 out of 100, safer than 90% of American counties; the county has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 213 Mbps down, faster than 56% of American counties. There are 11 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 1.4 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.