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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Lewis and Clark County, Montana

Lewis and Clark County has an effective property tax rate of 0.79%. On the median home value of $393,500, that's roughly $3,113 per year. Median household income is $78,237.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.79%
median tax $3,113 ÷ median home $393,500
Median Home Value1
$393,500
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$78,237
per-capita $44,837
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$3,113
at 0.79% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricLewis and Clark CountyMontana (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.79%0.68%
Median home value1$393,500—
State income tax3top rate 5.65%top rate 5.65%
State sales tax30.00% combined0.00% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Lewis and Clark County, MT

In Lewis and Clark County, homebuyers around Helena face a median home value of $393,500, which carries an annual property tax bill of about $3,113. That works out to an effective rate of 0.791%, placing the county above Montana's statewide median of 0.677% and ranking it 19th of the state's 56 counties. Against the national median rate of 0.794%, however, the county sits almost exactly at par, so the tax load here is not unusual by broader standards. With median household income at $78,237, the annual tax equals roughly 4% of a typical household's earnings, while per-capita income of $44,837 shows the county's wage base varies considerably. Buyers weighing a move to Helena or nearby Augusta and Canyon Creek should note that the higher-than-state-average rate adds somewhat to ownership costs, though home prices themselves remain the larger factor in overall affordability.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Lewis and Clark County, MT?
The effective rate is 0.79% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.79% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($393,500), the estimated annual bill is about $3,113.
Is Lewis and Clark County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 0.68% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Lewis and Clark County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Lewis and Clark County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.