Property tax in Lake County, Montana
The median property tax bill in Lake County, Montana is $2,561 a year, which is about 0.61% of the county's median home value of $421,800. That effective rate is lower than the typical Montana county (0.68%) and lower 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 Lake County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Lake County's average effective rate of 0.61% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $2,573 / year
Property tax in Lake County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $2,561 |
| Median home value | $421,800 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.61% |
| 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 Lake County compare in Montana?
Among Montana's 56 counties, Lake County has the 33rd highest effective property-tax rate: 32 rank higher and 23 rank lower. That is near the middle for Montana. Nationally, it ranks 2227th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Montana county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Lake County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Lake County's 9,438 owner-occupied homes, 36% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 57.3% pay at least $2,000, and 9.8% pay under $800. Another 9.2% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 926 | 9.8% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 1,145 | 12.1% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 1,082 | 11.5% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 2,015 | 21.3% |
| $3,000 or more | 3,398 | 36% |
| No property tax paid | 872 | 9.2% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $2,678 and owners without one pay $2,383. 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 Lake County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $2,561 is about 3.4% of the median income of Lake County homeowner households, $75,390 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 75% of Lake 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 Lake County?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,880 in 2015-2019 to $2,561 in 2020-2024, a 36.2% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 66.7%, from $253,100 to $421,800. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
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 Lake County
Lake County borders 3 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missoula County, MT | 0.88% | $4,150 | $472,100 |
| Lake County, MT (this county) | 0.61% | $2,561 | $421,800 |
| Flathead County, MT | 0.58% | $3,120 | $535,500 |
| Sanders County, MT | 0.53% | $1,889 | $359,000 |
How is a home assessed in Lake County?
Montana sets the assessment rules and Lake County applies them. How Montana assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Lake 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 Lake County. Montana's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Lake 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. Lake County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Lake 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; Lake 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
-
How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Lake County's tax rate to hand.
-
Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
-
Montana income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Montana actually taxes.
-
Sales tax in Lake County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Lake 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.