Property tax in Custer County, Montana
The median property tax bill in Custer County, Montana is $2,264 a year, which is about 1.03% of the county's median home value of $219,100. That effective rate is higher than the typical Montana county (0.68%) and higher than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Custer County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Custer County's average effective rate of 1.03% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $2,257 / year
Property tax in Custer County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $2,264 |
| Median home value | $219,100 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.03% |
| Typical Montana county rate | 0.68% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Custer County compare in Montana?
Among Montana's 56 counties, Custer County has the 7th highest effective property-tax rate: 6 rank higher and 49 rank lower. That places it among the most heavily taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 1043rd of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Montana county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Custer County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Custer County's 3,520 owner-occupied homes, 29.4% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 54.1% pay at least $2,000, and 10.3% pay under $800. Another 4.9% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 361 | 10.3% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 677 | 19.2% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 406 | 11.5% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 868 | 24.7% |
| $3,000 or more | 1,034 | 29.4% |
| No property tax paid | 174 | 4.9% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $2,386 and owners without one pay $2,087. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.
How does the Custer County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $2,264 is about 2.7% of the median income of Custer County homeowner households, $83,333 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 69.9% of Custer County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Custer County?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,766 in 2015-2019 to $2,264 in 2020-2024, a 28.2% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 28.6%, from $170,400 to $219,100.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Custer County
Custer County borders 6 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County, MT (this county) | 1.03% | $2,264 | $219,100 |
| Prairie County, MT | 0.84% | $1,391 | $165,700 |
| Rosebud County, MT | 0.7% | $1,285 | $182,400 |
| Powder River County, MT | 0.68% | $1,304 | $192,100 |
| Garfield County, MT | 0.62% | $1,052 | $169,900 |
| Fallon County, MT | 0.5% | $1,220 | $244,800 |
| Carter County, MT | 0.45% | $904 | $199,200 |
How is a home assessed in Custer County?
Montana sets the assessment rules and Custer County applies them. How Montana assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Custer County?
Not as a dollar amount. Montana's homestead benefit is a lower tax rate for an enrolled principal residence; a home that does not enroll is taxed at the flat 1.9% rate. That is the Montana rule, and it applies in Custer County. Montana's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Custer County?
Montana bills once and you pay in two halves. The first half is due by 5 p.m. on November 30, or 30 days after the notice is mailed if that falls later, and the second by 5 p.m. on May 31. Anything unpaid after May 31 is delinquent, picks up a 2% penalty and accrues interest monthly. Owners of a primary residence can instead enroll in an alternative schedule spreading the bill over seven monthly payments from November through May.
Montana splits the bill into 2 installments. That is the Montana rule. Custer County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Custer County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the County Tax Appeal Board, then the Montana Tax Appeal Board, then district court. The filing deadline is typically 30 days from the date on your classification and appraisal notice. That is the Montana rule; Custer County sets the exact dates and forms. The Montana appeal process step by step.
Montana rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Montana page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Custer County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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Montana income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Montana actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Custer County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Custer County, Montana: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.