Property Taxes in Montana: Where do We Rank?

Talk to just about anyone in Montana and eventually the subject of property taxes will come up. Usually, right around the time we get the bi-annual bill in the mail. The Montana Department of Revenue cordially reminds you,

First Payment: November 30 (5 pm) or within 30 days of the postmark on your tax notice, whichever is later

Second Payment: May 31 (5 pm)

I guess it's nice that they break up the payment. For most average homeowners in the Billings area, their annual bill can approach $2,000 and coughing up two grand at once can be a challenge for a lot of people. Everyone who pays property taxes in Montana complains about the ever rising tax bill, and renters aren't immune. As landlords pay more taxes, they'll raise rents to compensate.

So, how bad are our property taxes compared to other states? Wallethub ran the data and Montana isn't even in the Top 10 when it comes to paying the most in property taxes. We're tied with North Carolina at 20th. Wallethub noted Montana's median home price of $230,600 has a tax bill of $1,928. The state with the highest property taxes is New Jersey, where the media home earns a tax bill of over $8,000 per year! Hawaiians pay the least in property tax, where a property worth $217,500 only pays $606 in taxes.

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“Death, taxes and childbirth! There's never any convenient time for any of them.”
― Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind

“We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.”
― Winston S. Churchill

“The power to tax is the power to destroy.”
― John Marshall

Of course, for many homeowners, property taxes are rolled into their mortgage. For more, read Wallethubs  2021’s Property Taxes by State. They also compared vehicle tax rates by state.