Rosebud
Montana

What stands out

What stands out about Rosebud County: life expectancy is among the shortest in America (67.6 years), home internet speed is in the bottom 2% of American counties (55 Mbps), and the average commute is in the bottom 4% of American counties (14 minutes). Within Montana it ranks 3rd of 49 counties for life expectancy, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Rosebud County, Montana. 8,310 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population held steady at 0.1% last year, and more Americans moved out than in (net -19).

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 $57,656 a year, lower than 59% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $63,780. Unemployment runs 3.4%, higher than 52% of American counties. 5% of workers work from home; for the rest the average commute is 14 minutes each way.

Montana takes 4.9% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,806 a year.

Home

The median home costs $235K, pricier than 51% of American counties, about 2.4 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $709 a month. Property tax is 0.68% of home value, roughly $1,085 a year on that median home, lower than 68% of American counties. 64% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 4.3 per 1,000 residents, higher than 74% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 15 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 67.6 years, shorter than almost every county in America. There are 7 active physicians in the county, about 8.4 per 10,000 people. 12.3% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 2.58 where 3.0 is national grade level, lower than 90% of American counties. 90% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 21 points. 58% 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 33, colder than 86% of American counties. About 18 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 7 out of 100, safer than 93% of American counties; the county has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 55 Mbps down, slower than 98% of American counties. There are 3 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.6 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.