Property Tax in Lewis and Clark County, Montana
Homeowners in Lewis and Clark County, Montana pay a median of $2,886 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $358,200. Those are the Census Bureau's published medians for the county (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023) — the typical bill and the typical home value for owner-occupied households.
What the Lewis and Clark County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Lewis and Clark County pay more than $2,886, and half pay less. Your own bill is set by your home's assessed value, the exemptions you qualify for, and the local taxing districts your property sits in — so individual bills vary widely around the median.
Dividing the median tax by the median home value gives a derived effective rate of 0.81% for Lewis and Clark County. It is an estimate built from two survey medians, not the county's official rate, but it is a fair way to compare the local tax burden with other counties where home values are very different.
Lewis and Clark County by the numbers
| Measure | Lewis and Clark County | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $2,886 | $2,535 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $358,200 | $338,100 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.81% | 0.75% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $240 | $211 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Lewis and Clark County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Montana: #3 of 56 counties
- Median home value rank in Montana: #11 of 56
- Population rank in Montana: #6 of 56 (72,580 residents)
- Population density rank: #8 of 56 (21 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Montana: #14 of 56 (3,458 sq mi, 2.4% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $240; per $1,000 of home value: $0.81
How Lewis and Clark County compares
The median tax bill in Lewis and Clark County is about 14% higher than the state median ($2,535 for Montana) and about the same as the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #3 out of 56 Montana counties with published Census data — 2 counties in the state have a higher median bill.
Comparisons cut both ways: a county can have a modest rate but high bills because homes are expensive, or a high rate but modest bills because homes are cheaper. Lewis and Clark County's derived rate of 0.81% sits below the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Lewis and Clark County: the median bill works out to about $240 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $806 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 72,580 people — the #6 most populous county in Montana, spread over 3,458 square miles, a density of about 21 people per square mile. Its median home value, $358,200, ranks #11 among the state's 56 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 479 record a higher median tax bill than Lewis and Clark County — it sits in the top 15% nationally. The county holds roughly 6.6% of Montana's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $358,200 versus $338,100), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.81% adds up to about 8.06% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Wibaux County, medians $654 — $2,232 less than Lewis and Clark County per year.
Counties nearest Lewis and Clark County in the Montana ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missoula County, MT | $3,833 | $423,100 | 0.91% |
| Gallatin County, MT | $3,625 | $604,900 | 0.60% |
| Flathead County, MT | $2,867 | $467,700 | 0.61% |
| Yellowstone County, MT | $2,669 | $317,600 | 0.84% |
Lewis and Clark County and its population peers
Population is a useful lens on these figures, so the table below sets Lewis and Clark County beside the counties closest to it in population anywhere in the country — communities of a similar scale operating under different state and local tax systems. Ranked by median tax paid within this peer group of 9, Lewis and Clark County's $2,886 bill is #2 of 9.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pottawatomie County, OK | 73,011 | $1,013 | $155,700 | 0.65% |
| Boone County, IN | 72,827 | $2,725 | $341,800 | 0.80% |
| Grand Forks County, ND | 72,764 | $2,754 | $244,200 | 1.13% |
| Christian County, KY | 72,599 | $1,065 | $149,200 | 0.71% |
| Wise County, TX | 72,359 | $3,293 | $277,200 | 1.19% |
| Creek County, OK | 72,353 | $1,261 | $170,900 | 0.74% |
| Morgan County, IN | 72,202 | $1,056 | $220,100 | 0.48% |
| Lauderdale County, MS | 71,984 | $1,223 | $124,500 | 0.98% |
The closest population match is Christian County, Kentucky (72,599 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $1,065 on a median home value of $149,200 — $1,821 more than Lewis and Clark County pays.
Lewis and Clark County's nearest population neighbours within Montana are Flathead County (108,445 residents, median tax $2,867 on a median value of $467,700); Cascade County (84,601 residents, median tax $2,236 on a median value of $243,300); Ravalli County (45,807 residents, median tax $2,303 on a median value of $435,000); Silver Bow County (35,589 residents, median tax $2,357 on a median value of $223,500). Comparing them is a reminder that even inside one state's rules, the bill follows local home values and local district rates more than anything decided at the state level.
How the tax is worked out
Think of the final bill as three ingredients: the assessed value of the property, the exemptions subtracted from it, and the combined rate of every district the property sits in. Lewis and Clark County's medians imply a derived rate of 0.81%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $3,224 a year, or around $269 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Illustrative bills in Lewis and Clark County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.81% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Lewis and Clark County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 0.75% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $1,209 | $101 |
| $250,000 | $2,015 | $168 |
| $350,000 | $2,821 | $235 |
| $500,000 | $4,030 | $336 |
| $750,000 | $6,045 | $504 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in Lewis and Clark County
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in Lewis and Clark County; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Lewis and Clark County, Montana?
The median real estate tax paid in Lewis and Clark County, Montana is $2,886 per year, on a median home value of $358,200 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Lewis and Clark County, Montana?
On a derived basis, 0.81%: the county's median tax bill of $2,886 divided by its median home value of $358,200. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Lewis and Clark County compare with the rest of Montana?
Lewis and Clark County ranks #3 of 56 Montana counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $2,886 is about 14% higher than the Montana median of $2,535.
How are property taxes calculated in Lewis and Clark County, Montana?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in Lewis and Clark County is $2,886 of tax on a $358,200 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Lewis and Clark County, Montana?
Yes. Request your property record card from the Lewis and Clark County assessor's office and check it for errors, then compare your assessed value with recent sales of similar homes. If it still looks too high, file a formal appeal with the local review board named on your assessment notice before the deadline printed on the notice — windows are short, often 30 to 90 days.