Best Places to Live in Montana

Off-grid & homestead laws in Montana

How Montana treats the things that matter for living off-grid or homesteading. Scores feed the national rankings; rules often vary by county.

• Building-code freedomState code in cities/certified counties; much rural unincorporated exempt.ICC / NAHB code-adoption summaries (2026) ↗local-option
• Greywater reuse2007 law legalized single-family reuse but systems require approval.Greywater Action / EPA REUSExplorer (2026) ↗permitted
• Rainwater harvestingNo state restrictions.NCSL (2026) ↗unrestricted
• Zoning / land-use freedomCitizen-initiated county zoning; statewide subdivision review only.American Planning Association / Lincoln Institute (2026) ↗local-control
• Water rightsPrior appropriation; small domestic/stock wells (<35 gpm) generally exempt.National Agricultural Law Center (2026) ↗prior-appropriation
• Right-to-farm protectionAgricultural-practices protection; no fee-shifting/caps.National Agricultural Law Center (2026) ↗moderate
• Cottage-food / home salesLocal Food Choice Act 2021; no license/cap; some TCS/meat.Institute for Justice / Forrager (2026) ↗food-freedom
• Property tax burdenMedian ~0.7% effective rate across 56 counties.Census ACS (county median) (2023) ↗low
• Income tax burdenTop rate cut to 5.65% in 2026.Tax Foundation (2026) ↗graduated-low
• Homestead exemptionNew homestead reduced tax rate (HB231/SB542), enroll required.Lincoln Institute / state revenue departments (2026) ↗moderate

General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.

All 56 Montana counties, ranked

1. 1McCone County75
2. 2Prairie County72
3. 3Daniels County72
4. 4Wibaux County72
5. 5Toole County72
6. 6Fallon County71
7. 7Liberty County71
8. 8Petroleum County71
9. 9Powder River County71
10. 10Wheatland County70
11. 11Carter County70
12. 12Sheridan County69
13. 13Treasure County69
14. 14Garfield County68
15. 15Golden Valley County67
16. 16Musselshell County67
17. 17Custer County67
18. 18Pondera County67
19. 19Teton County66
20. 20Meagher County66
21. 21Judith Basin County65
22. 22Valley County65
23. 23Dawson County64
24. 24Phillips County64
25. 25Richland County64
26. 26Roosevelt County64
27. 27Glacier County64
28. 28Powell County63
29. 29Chouteau County63
30. 30Hill County63
31. 31Rosebud County62
32. 32Blaine County62
33. 33Deer Lodge County61
34. 34Mineral County60
35. 35Fergus County60
36. 36Sweet Grass County59
37. 37Broadwater County59
38. 38Granite County59
39. 39Big Horn County58
40. 40Silver Bow County57
41. 41Stillwater County57
42. 42Cascade County57
43. 43Lake County56
44. 44Sanders County56
45. 45Jefferson County56
46. 46Beaverhead County55
47. 47Madison County53
48. 48Missoula County52
49. 49Lincoln County51
50. 50Lewis and Clark County50
51. 51Yellowstone County50
52. 52Gallatin County49
53. 53Park County48
54. 54Flathead County47
55. 55Carbon County47
56. 56Ravalli County47