Lake County, Montana property tax
The median homeowner in Lake County, Montana pays $2,436 a year in property tax on a home worth $369,200, an effective rate of 0.66%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.66%, Lake County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. This is the case where the rate misleads. Owners pay $2,436 a year, which is what matters, and the low percentage is a function of what housing is worth rather than of restraint by the county.
It ranks #23 of 36 Montana counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.75%, and #1,879 nationally. The state runs from 1.52% in Blaine County down to 0.41% in Madison County.
The median home costs 5.96 times the median household income of $61,965, against 3.86 nationally, so housing absorbs an unusually large share of what people here earn. Renters pay 17.12% of median income in gross rent. With 32,073 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Lake County | Montana | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.66% | 0.75% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $2,436 | $2,535 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $369,200 | $338,100 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $884 | $1,031 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $61,965 | $69,922 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 5.96× | 4.84× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 17.12% | 17.69% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 73.8% | 69.42% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 32,073.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Bow County | 1.05% | $2,357 | $223,500 |
| Lincoln County | 0.58% | $1,499 | $258,700 |
| Ravalli County | 0.53% | $2,303 | $435,000 |
| Park County | 0.57% | $2,454 | $429,700 |
| Hill County | 1.08% | $2,026 | $187,600 |
Lake County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Lake County, Montana?
The effective rate is 0.66% of home value, from a median tax bill of $2,436 against a median home value of $369,200. That is 0.32 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Lake County?
Roughly $2,640 a year at the county effective rate of 0.66%.
Is Lake County expensive compared with the rest of Montana?
It ranks #23 of 36 Montana counties by effective property tax rate, and #1879 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.09 points below the Montana average of 0.75%.
What does housing cost in Lake County?
The median home is worth $369,200 and median gross rent is $884 a month. Median household income is $61,965, which puts the home at 5.96 times annual income and rent at 17.12% of it.