Stillwater
Montana

What stands out

Against every county in America, Stillwater County is unusual in three ways: the overdose death rate is in the bottom 4% of American counties (0 per 100,000), homeownership is in the top 5% of American counties (84%), and the median home price is in the top 8% of American counties ($483K). Within Montana it ranks 30th of 56 counties for the overdose death rate, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Stillwater County, Montana. 8,978 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population held steady at 0.0% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +46).

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 $78,380 a year, higher than 86% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $75,084. Unemployment runs 2.2%, lower than 91% of American counties. 7% of workers work from home; for the rest the average commute is 26 minutes each way.

Montana takes 5.1% of that median income in state income tax, about $3,977 a year.

Home

The median home costs $483K, pricier than 92% of American counties, about 3.3 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $846 a month. Property tax is 0.64% of home value, roughly $2,017 a year on that median home, lower than 73% of American counties. 84% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.2 per 1,000 residents, lower than 85% of American counties.

A child born here can expect to live 78.1 years, longer than 77% of American counties. There are 9 active physicians in the county, about 10.0 per 10,000 people. 10.8% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 2.98 where 3.0 is national grade level, lower than 52% of American counties. 93% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 53 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 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 45°F, highs near 57 and lows near 33, colder than 91% of American counties. About 22 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 15 out of 100, safer than 85% of American counties; the county has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 142 Mbps down, slower than 74% of American counties. There are 7 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.8 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.