Sanders
Montana

What stands out

What stands out about Sanders County: winter sunshine is in the bottom 2% of American counties (-2.3 on the USDA scale), the home price against local income is in the top 4% of American counties (4.6 years of income), and the overdose death rate is in the bottom 4% of American counties (0 per 100,000). Within Montana it ranks 10th of 56 counties for winter sunshine, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Sanders County, Montana. 12,615 people live here with you. The population grew 2.2% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +397).

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 $47,110 a year, lower than 84% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $45,909. Unemployment runs 4.3%, higher than 77% of American counties. 15% of workers work from home.

Montana takes 4.7% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,214 a year.

Home

The median home costs $454K, pricier than 91% of American counties, about 4.6 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $695 a month. Property tax is 0.58% of home value, roughly $1,653 a year on that median home, lower than 80% of American counties. 78% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 4.1 per 1,000 residents, higher than 64% of American counties.

A child born here can expect to live 75.5 years, shorter than 54% of American counties. There are 12 active physicians in the county, about 9.5 per 10,000 people. 18.6% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.39 where 3.0 is national grade level, higher than 91% of American counties. 91% 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. 79% 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 56 and lows near 34, colder than 90% of American counties. About 34 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 17 out of 100, safer than 83% of American counties; the county has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 93 Mbps down, slower than 89% of American counties. There are 8 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 1.2 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.