Pondera
Montana

What stands out

If you had to describe Pondera County in numbers, start here: home internet speed is in the bottom 2% of American counties (51 Mbps), rainfall is in the bottom 5% of American counties (14 inches a year), and the average temperature is in the bottom 6% of American counties (43°F). Within Montana it ranks 7th of 55 counties for home internet speed, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Pondera County, Montana. 5,987 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population grew 0.5% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +15).

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 $59,861 a year, lower than 52% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $45,334. Unemployment runs 2.6%, lower than 80% of American counties. 7% of workers work from home.

Montana takes 4.9% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,931 a year.

Home

The median home costs $265K, pricier than 61% of American counties, about 2.3 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $742 a month. Property tax is 0.98% of home value, roughly $1,680 a year on that median home, higher than 58% of American counties. 67% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.7 per 1,000 residents, lower than 59% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 19 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 78.2 years, longer than 77% of American counties. There are 7 active physicians in the county, about 11.7 per 10,000 people. 17.3% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 2.90 where 3.0 is national grade level, lower than 71% of American counties. 88% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 28 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 43°F, highs near 56 and lows near 31, colder than 94% of American counties. About 14 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 14 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 51 Mbps down, slower than 98% of American counties. There are 2 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.7 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.