Granite
Montana

What stands out

Three things set Granite County apart from the other 3,142 counties: life expectancy is among the longest in America (83.2 years), the average temperature is in the bottom 2% of American counties (41°F), and winter sunshine is in the bottom 2% of American counties (-2.3 on the USDA scale). Within Montana it ranks 3rd of 49 counties for life expectancy.

Where you are

You live in Granite County, Montana. 3,368 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population grew 2.8% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +107).

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 $53,917 a year, lower than 70% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $44,235. Unemployment runs 3.8%, higher than 65% of American counties. 11% of workers work from home; for the rest the average commute is 20 minutes each way.

Montana takes 4.8% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,595 a year.

Home

The median home costs $467K, pricier than 91% of American counties, about 4.3 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $677 a month. Property tax is 0.67% of home value, roughly $1,910 a year on that median home, lower than 69% of American counties. 77% 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 14 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 83.2 years, longer than almost every county in America. There are 6 active physicians in the county, about 17.8 per 10,000 people. 12.7% 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. 90% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 27 points. 77% 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 30, colder than 98% of American counties. About 25 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 8 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 83 Mbps down, slower than 92% of American counties. There are 6 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.