The story of this market
The typical home in Yellowstone County, Montana sells for about $408,674, or $204 per square foot.
Prices are up +9% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 57 days to sell. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 207% since 2000. Last year 18 of 36 neighborhoods saw prices rise, so the story isn't the same street to street. The biggest natural hazard here is winter weather, which FEMA rates very high. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,432 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,432 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively Low.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
0%
2025
Each stripe is one year's median price change across the area's census tracts (FHFA repeat-sales index). Deep blue is a strong gain year, red a falling year. Best: 2022 (+18.7%). Worst: 2011 (-1%). Hover to read a year.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
+2.9%
MT · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Rent benchmark
Fair market rent by size
$1,983
3-bed / month
HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal 2027, for this county. A typical rent for a modest unit, used to set housing-voucher payments.
Neighborhood price trend
Long-run price trend, 2000–2025
0%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 36 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
53
Relatively Low
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $60,109,550.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
84.3%
2018 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 8175 | 4600 | 84.3% | 9.2% | $230,000 |
CFPB Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records: every mortgage application reported by lenders for homes in this county. Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded). Investor share and home value are the median census tract.
Yellowstone County, Montana
Yellowstone County's housing market demonstrates sustained stability and modest appreciation, with median sale prices climbing near $409,000 amid steady buyer interest. Inventory levels have recovered toward balanced territory compared to the historic pandemic-era lows, granting buyers more selection while sellers maintain close to 98% of their asking price. Regional employment in healthcare and energy continues to underwrite solid consumer demand across Billings and its suburban perimeter.
No ARED distress-ledger coverage for this county yet — the foreclosure ingest rotates the national county directory, and filings appear here once the county's posted notices are read. Key-figure check: no independent anchor retained yet — first-researched cycles establish the anchor baseline this pass.
Select a city to expand its ZIP intel reports beneath · 11 cities · 24 ZIP reports
Median prices moved up 14.1% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 60 days on market with 2.4 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
11% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 53.1% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 2.9% · poverty 9.4% — a stable, low-distress profile.
Owned and leased federal assets with active or excess status, per the General Services Administration's Real Estate Across the United States inventory (read 2026-09-25). A federal footprint read on this county — not a market valuation, and never an attribute of any individual property or tenant.
Deterministic aggregate of 24 researched ZIP reports — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Yellowstone County, Montana — researched county-level history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 6.9%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
Each property observation weighs one in its ZIP's deterministic roll-up — property-level records (taxes, scores, permits) never roll individually. Latest property research run Oct 7, 2026.
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
| 59002 | Acton | $396,500 | $189 | +2.1% | 23 | 98.5% | 31.9% | 6 | 1,322 | $1,135 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59006 | Ballantine | $410,000 | $201 | +2.6% | 58 | 97.2% | 16% | 4.5 | 765 | $1,450 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59014 | Bridger | $389,238 | $201 | +3% | 64 | 98.5% | 6.4% | 2.7 | 1,366 | $846 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59015 | Broadview | $228,800 | $135 | +2.1% | 106 | 98.5% | 31.9% | 6.2 | 1,366 | $1,138 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59024 | Custer | $407,000 | $242 | +2.7% | 48 | 98.5% | 18.5% | 2.7 | 582 | $420 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59037 | Huntley | $680,000 | $235 | +51.1% | 73 | — | — | — | 19 | $1,233 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59044 | Lavina | $431,950 | $194 | +2.1% | 49 | 98.5% | 31.9% | 6.4 | 1,368 | $967 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59064 | Pompeys Pillar | $410,000 | $242 | +0.4% | 47 | 98.5% | 16% | 3.5 | 765 | $1,520 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59079 | Shepherd | $389,000 | $293 | +2.1% | 46 | — | — | — | 44 | $1,744 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59088 | Worden | $341,935 | $194 | — | 49 | — | — | — | 1,368 | $907 | researched Sep 27 |
Figures are each ZIP report's own latest research — the county roll-up aggregates them sales_count-weighted (population fallback); ZIPs cycle quarterly.
Violent and property crime rates across Yellowstone County are largely anchored by Billings, where per capita crime metrics run above statewide averages but remain comparable to peer regional commerce centers in the Mountain West.
The county is served predominantly by Billings Public Schools alongside several well-regarded rural and suburban districts such as Canyon Creek, Elder Grove, and Laurel, with select elementary schools earning 8 to 9 out of 10 ratings on GreatSchools.
Wildfire is the dominant hazard with roughly 90 percent of county properties carrying wildfire exposure risk, while riverine flooding along the Yellowstone River basin affects roughly 17 percent of parcels.
Yellowstone County acts as the central medical, energy, and retail distribution hub for eastern Montana and northern Wyoming, supported by major regional medical systems and logistics corridors.
Composed from the ARED governance burden registry — tier-native tax structure (state + county + city + special districts), never averaged. Federal (United States (federal)) — Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Superfund Liens: Establishes a statutory federal lien upon the parcel running in favor of the United States for all unrecovered cleanup costs, damages, and statutory interest incurred by the EPA. Rate and formula: Direct Dollar-for-Dollar Reimbursement (Lien Amount = Incurred Response Costs + Administrative Costs + Federal (United States (federal)) — Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) Withholding: Imposes an affirmative withholding tax obligation on the transferee (buyer) to withhold and remit tax on the gross amount realized (gross sales price). The statutory base withholding rate is 15% of the total purchase price (Formula: Tax = Amount Realized × 15%). Exemptions and reductions: (1) 0% wit Federal (United States (federal)) — Federal General Tax Lien Encumbrance: Under IRC § 6321, a statutory lien arises automatically as of the date of assessment and attaches to all real property owned or acquired by the taxpayer.
Yellowstone County represents eastern Montana's primary economic engine, anchored by healthcare (Billings Clinic and Intermountain Health St. Vincent), energy refining (Phillips 66 and ExxonMobil), logistics, and agricultural commerce.
Interstate 90 and Interstate 94 converge in the county alongside Billings Logan International Airport (BIL) and MET Transit bus lines serving the urban core.
Development continues to advance outward toward the West End of Billings and Laurel, supported by ongoing roadway expansions and master-planned single-family sub-divisions.
The Montana Department of Revenue assesses property values on a biennial cycle using mass appraisal techniques, applying uniform statutory tax rates prior to local mill levy calculations.
Parcels are subject to school district mill levies, Yellowstone County general funds, fire protection districts, soil conservation districts, and urban special improvement districts (SIDs).
Property insurance costs are rising moderately across the county driven by severe convective storms/hail exposure and increasing wildfire risk assessments along undeveloped rangeland boundaries.
- The Reef Indoor Water Park48.9 mi
- Oasis4.53.2 mi
- Get Air Trampoline Park4.47.4 mi
- Öx Indoor Axe Throwing4.95.1 mi
- Chuck E. Cheese4.17 mi
- MetraPark - First Interstate Arena4.32.3 mi
- Pioneer Park4.64.5 mi
- Moss Mansion Museum4.84 mi
- The High Horse Saloon & Eatery4.44.5 mi
- The Pub Station4.53.3 mi
- ZooMontana4.59.7 mi
- Lava Island4.95.7 mi
- Pictograph Cave State Park4.43.3 mi
- Amend Park4.45.6 mi
- Riverfront Park4.55.7 mi
- Pictograph Cave State Park4.43.3 mi
- Moss Mansion Museum4.84 mi
- Wise Wonders Science and Discovery Museum4.63.6 mi
- Yellowstone Art Museum4.53.5 mi
- Roots Garden Center4.76.6 mi
- Pictograph Cave State Park4.43.3 mi
- Amend Park4.45.6 mi
- Riverfront Park4.55.7 mi
- Pioneer Park4.64.5 mi
- Zimmerman Park4.78.3 mi
- Lake Hills Golf Course4.34.5 mi
- Eaglerock Golf Course4.48.1 mi
- Yellowstone Country Club4.611 mi
- Laurel Golf Club4.619.4 mi
- Billings Par 34.76.4 mi
- Rimrock Mall47.2 mi
- Ross Dress for Less47.5 mi
- T.J. Maxx4.27.5 mi
- Albertsons43.6 mi
- Shipton's Big R West4.47.6 mi
- Billings-Logan International Airport4.45.1 mi
Theme parks, venues, golf, airports, museums, water and shopping across the area from Google Maps, ranked by popularity within the radius shown.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
Prominent geological sandstone formations overlooking Billings offering extensive hiking, biking trails, and scenic vistas.
Major undammed river running through the county offering blue-ribbon fishing, rafting, and riparian park corridors.
Archaeological site with rock art and prehistoric cave dwellings dating back thousands of years.
Multi-facility complex hosting regional concerts, rodeos, trade shows, and sporting events.
A 70-acre wildlife park and arboretum dedicated to regional native and cold-climate species.
Data retrieved from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates for Yellowstone County, Montana (FIPS 30111).
applies when — Property owned by the state or other exempt entities held by a private party under a contract of sale
The property is assessed and taxed to the private holder as if they held legal title, without deduction for unpaid purchase price.
MCA 15-24-1202
Property is valued by the Department of Revenue; tax is calculated by applying the state-determined tax rate to the taxable value (Market Value x Tax Rate). Homestead and long-term rental reduced tax rates are available via enrollment.
Montana Department of Revenue Property Assessment Division
applies when — Residential property on a parcel exceeding 40 acres
Requires judicial foreclosure through a sheriff's sale; includes a 1-year right of redemption during which the borrower may remain in the residence.
MCA 71-1-224
applies when — Residential property on a parcel of 40 acres or less
Allows for non-judicial foreclosure via trustee sale; no right of redemption exists for the borrower after the sale; deficiency judgments are prohibited.
MCA 71-1-315; Montana Small Tract Financing Act
Governance registry — every jurisdiction re-researches on a rolling 90-day cycle. Property reports compose these inherited burdens into a per-parcel ledger with conditional determinations. Informational only — not legal advice.