Valley
Montana

What stands out

If you had to describe Valley County in numbers, start here: the average commute is in the bottom 2% of American counties (13 minutes), rainfall is in the bottom 4% of American counties (12 inches a year), and the average temperature is in the bottom 5% of American counties (43°F). Within Montana it ranks 2nd of 20 counties for the average commute, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Valley County, Montana. 7,552 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population shrank 0.9% last year, and more Americans moved out than in (net -72).

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 $59,725 a year, lower than 52% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $49,648. Unemployment runs 2.5%, lower than 84% of American counties. 15% of workers work from home; for the rest the average commute is 13 minutes each way.

Montana takes 4.9% of that median income in state income tax, about $2,923 a year.

Home

The median home costs $188K, cheaper than 68% of American counties, about 2.2 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $717 a month. Property tax is 1.04% of home value, roughly $1,915 a year on that median home, higher than 63% of American counties. 76% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.6 per 1,000 residents, lower than 64% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 16 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 77.1 years, longer than 65% of American counties. There are 14 active physicians in the county, about 18.5 per 10,000 people. 14.7% 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 61% of American counties. 93% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 33 points. 74% 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 55 and lows near 30, colder than 95% of American counties. About 12 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 35 out of 100, safer than 65% of American counties; the county has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 137 Mbps down, slower than 76% of American counties. There are 10 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 1.4 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 1 brewery.