Montana · FIPS 30047 · ACS 2020–2024
Lake County, Montana property tax rate
Homeowners in Lake County paid a median of $2,561 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $421,800 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.48% of home value, 22% below the Montana rate of 0.61% and 49% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.48%Effective tax rate±0.05% margin · Montana: 0.61%
- $2,561Median tax per yearMontana: $2,693 · U.S.: $3,119
- $421,800Median home valueMontana: $375,800
- 9,438Owner-occupied homes75% of households own
| Measure | Lake County | Montana | U.S. | Lake County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.48% | 0.61% | 0.94% | 0.52% | −0.04 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $2,561 | $2,693 | $3,119 | $2,436 | +$125 (+5.1%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $2,678 | $2,860 | $3,489 | $2,613 | +$65 (+2.5%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $2,383 | $2,448 | $2,576 | $2,176 | +$207 (+9.5%) |
| Median home value | $421,800 | $375,800 | $332,700 | $369,200 | +$52,600 (+14.2%) |
| Total taxes paid | $25,824,400 | $941,386,100 | $360,573,527,500 | $23,357,800 |
How Lake County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $4.78 a year, against $6.14 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in Montana: 6 of 35 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 15% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.51% of value; homes without one: 0.44%. Median bills: $2,678 and $2,383.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (−0.04 pts) and the median tax changed +$125 (+5.1%). The two 5-year surveys share four years of responses, so year-to-year moves are small and partly noise.
- Margin of error: the effective rate is 0.48% ± 0.05% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 9,438 owner-occupied homes.
Montana counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanders County | 0.46% | $1,889 | $359,000 |
| Lincoln County | 0.50% | $1,615 | $296,500 |
| Judith Basin County | 0.50% | $1,066 | $238,300 |
| Broadwater County | 0.50% | $2,384 | $426,600 |
| Mineral County | 0.50% | $1,758 | $364,300 |
| Beaverhead County | 0.51% | $2,069 | $308,300 |
| Jefferson County | 0.51% | $2,446 | $446,900 |
| Musselshell County | 0.51% | $1,287 | $235,000 |
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table-based summary file: B25090 (aggregate real estate taxes), B25082 (aggregate home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes), B25077 (median home value) and B25003 (tenure); files dated January 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, same tables (files dated October 31, 2024), for the comparison column.
- Geography names: Census Bureau Geos20245YR.txt (file dated January 22, 2026).
Effective rate = total real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied homes ÷ their total value, as reported by owners to the Census Bureau. It is not a millage rate. Your bill depends on your assessed value, exemptions (such as homestead) and local levies.