Powder River
Montana

What stands out

If you had to describe Powder River County in numbers, start here: home internet speed is among the slowest in America (42 Mbps), 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 4% of American counties (1.8 per 1,000). Within Montana it ranks 4th of 55 counties for home internet speed, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Powder River County, Montana. 1,773 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population grew 0.6% 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 $60,313 a year, higher than 50% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $53,159. Unemployment runs 2.2%, lower than 92% of American counties. 13% of workers work from home.

Montana takes 4.9% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,956 a year.

Home

The median home costs $294K, pricier than 68% of American counties, about 2.1 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $660 a month. Property tax is 0.74% of home value, roughly $1,236 a year on that median home, lower than 61% of American counties. 79% 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.

A child born here can expect to live 78.4 years, longer than 79% 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. 11.6% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

89% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 61 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 84% 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 46°F, highs near 60 and lows near 33, colder than 87% of American counties. About 18 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 5 out of 100, safer than 95% of American counties; the county has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 42 Mbps down, slower than almost every county in America. There are 2 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 1.8 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.