Verified July 2026 · By Oleg Kachko · Reviewed for accuracy against primary state and county sources
Yellowstone County property tax costs the typical homeowner about $2,832 a year, on a median home value of $349,500 – an effective rate of about 0.74%. That is below the national average annual bill of $4,271. This page shows you where that number comes from, who actually sets it, the deadline to challenge it, and the exemptions you may be leaving on the table.
Yellowstone County property tax at a Glance
- Effective property tax rate: 0.74%
- Median annual bill: $2,832
- Median home value: $349,500
- Who assesses your home: Yellowstone County Assessor
- Appeal deadline: no single fixed date – see below
On this page
Yellowstone County property tax: the real numbers
Property tax is the most local tax there is. Two homes of the same value in different counties – sometimes in different towns of the same county – can carry very different bills, because the rate is the sum of every overlapping district that taxes you: the county, the town or city, the school district, and often fire, library or water districts on top. So the yellowstone county property tax figure below is an average across the whole county – your own bill depends on which districts you sit inside.
| Figure | Yellowstone County | National |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual property tax bill | $2,832 | $4,271 |
| Effective property tax rate | 0.74% | about 0.90% |
| Median home value | $349,500 | – |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (5-year), the same dataset the Tax Foundation uses. The effective rate is total real-estate taxes paid divided by total owner-occupied home value – so it reflects what people actually pay, not the headline millage rate.
Who actually sets your yellowstone county property tax value
Your assessed value is set by Yellowstone County Assessor. That office does not set your tax rate – the county board, your city, and your school district each set their own, and your bill is the sum. So the assessor can only be argued with about one thing: what your home is worth. That is exactly what an appeal is.
How often your yellowstone county property tax value is reassessed:
Unusually, the Montana Dept of Revenue (not county assessors) values all property, and reappraises every two years. Residential taxable value is a small percentage (about 1.35%) of market value.
How to appeal your yellowstone county property tax assessment
⚠ The deadline — miss it and you usually wait a full year
File a request for informal review (Form AB-26) with your local Montana Dept of Revenue office within 30 days of your classification/appraisal notice. If unresolved, appeal to the county Tax Appeal Board within 30 days, then the Montana Tax Appeal Board. Confirm dates on your notice.
Almost every yellowstone county property tax appeal comes down to one claim: the assessor thinks my home is worth more than it really is. Everything below is about proving that.
Do this first, before you file anything: ask for your property record card and read it. A surprising share of assessments are simply wrong on the facts – the wrong square footage, a bathroom you do not have, a finished basement that is bare concrete, a garage that was torn down. Factual errors are the easiest appeals to win, because there is nothing to argue about.
Then build the one thing that actually wins appeals: comparable sales. Find three to five homes near you, as similar as you can get on size, age, and condition, that sold recently for less than your assessed value. Not listings – sales. Not Zillow estimates – recorded sales. Boards ignore opinions and respond to comps.
A successful yellowstone county property tax appeal does not change your tax rate – it lowers the value the rate is applied to, which lowers the bill for as long as the new value stands.
Appeals are heard by the Montana Dept of Revenue (informal review), then the county Tax Appeal Board, then the Montana Tax Appeal Board. In most places there is a free, informal step first – a conversation or a paper review with the assessor – and it resolves a large share of cases without a hearing. Take it. It costs you nothing and it is the fastest way to win.
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One honest warning: an appeal reviews your value, and a review can go up as well as down. That is uncommon when you bring real comparable sales, and it is exactly why you check your comps before you file.
Where to go: find your office through Montana Dept of Revenue, which lists the assessing office for every county in Montana.
Yellowstone County property tax exemptions you may qualify for
This is where most homeowners quietly overpay their yellowstone county property tax. Exemptions are almost never applied automatically – you have to claim them, and many people simply never do. It is worth ten minutes of your time to check.
HOMESTEAD: No flat exemption; PTAP cuts the tax rate (by 30%, 50%, or 80%) on the first ~$418,000 of value for income-qualified owners. Confirm with the Montana Dept of Revenue. | SENIOR: Refundable credit up to ~$1,150 (62+, income under ~$45,000). Confirm with the Montana Dept of Revenue. | VETERAN: Cuts the tax rate 50-100% based on income (100% disability required). Confirm with the Montana Dept of Revenue. | DISABILITY: PTAP rate reduction (income-based). Confirm with the Montana Dept of Revenue.
Homestead: Montana has no traditional homestead exemption. Instead the state offers targeted relief: the Property Tax Assistance Program (PTAP) reduces the tax RATE on the first ~$418,000 of a primary residence’s value for lower-income owners, and there is a disabled-veteran program and an elderly credit (below). A 2025 reform (HB 231) also created a lower ‘homestead’ tax rate for primary residences vs second homes.
Senior / over-65: Elderly Homeowner/Renter Credit: a refundable income-tax credit up to ~$1,150 for residents 62+ with household income under ~$45,000 (claimed on the Montana income-tax return). Lower-income seniors may also qualify for PTAP’s tax-rate reduction. Montana has no separate senior property exemption.
Veteran: Montana Disabled Veterans (MDV) Assistance Program: reduces the property tax RATE on the home (by 50%, 70%, 80%, or 100% depending on income) for a veteran with a 100% service-connected disability, and unremarried surviving spouses. Apply with the Montana Dept of Revenue by April 15; income and ownership are checked yearly.
Disability: Totally disabled homeowners can qualify for PTAP’s income-based tax-rate reduction regardless of age (30%, 50%, or 80% off the rate on the first ~$418,000 of value).
Common questions about yellowstone county property tax
Why did my yellowstone county property tax bill go up when I did nothing to the house?
Two different things can raise a bill: your assessed value went up, or a taxing district raised its rate. They are separate, and only the first one can be appealed. Your notice will show which changed.
Is it worth appealing my yellowstone county property tax?
Ask one question: would a similar home near mine sell for less than the value the assessor has put on mine? If yes, you have a case, it is usually free to file, and in many places the informal review settles it without a hearing.
Do I need to hire someone to appeal?
No. The informal review and the local board are built for ordinary homeowners to use themselves, and there is normally no fee. Appeal services exist and can be worth it for some people, but you are not required to use one and you should never be told you are.
How is my yellowstone county property tax bill actually calculated?
Your assessed value is multiplied by the combined rate of every district that taxes you, then any exemptions you have claimed are subtracted. That is why two neighbours can pay different amounts on identical homes – one of them claimed an exemption the other never did.
More on Montana property tax
- Montana property tax rates — how Yellowstone County compares with every other county in the state.
- How to win your Montana property tax appeal — the evidence that works and what to say at the hearing.
- Montana property tax exemptions — who qualifies, how much each one saves, and how to apply.
- Montana property tax due dates — when the bill is due and what happens if you are late.
- Property tax by state — every state, side by side.
The bottom line on yellowstone county property tax
Do two things this week. First, pull your property record card and check the facts – square footage, rooms, condition. Second, check whether you are claiming every exemption you are entitled to, because most people are not. If your yellowstone county property tax value looks higher than what a similar home nearby would actually sell for, you have grounds to appeal – and the only thing that can stop you is the deadline above.
Where our yellowstone county property tax figures come from
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey — the rate, median bill and median value on this page.
- Tax Foundation, Property Taxes by State and County — the same dataset and method.
- Montana Dept of Revenue — the office that can confirm your value, your exemptions and your deadline.
- Montana Dept of Revenue (revenue.mt.gov); Montana Code Annotated Title 15; county treasurer sites
Informational only. Know Property Tax is not a government agency, not a county assessor, and not a tax-appeal service, and this is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Property tax rates, median bills, exemption amounts, and deadlines change every year, and every property is different. Any figure shown here is illustrative. Confirm your rate, your exemptions, and above all your appeal deadline with the office named on this page before you act.
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