You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Montana.
The median household income in Gallatin County, the richest county in Montana is $93,528, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 56 counties in the Treasure State. Let’s star gaze together.
What is the richest county in Montana? The richest county in Montana is Gallatin County. In contrast, the poorest county in the state is Prairie County, according to the Census data.
$93,528 median income · $697,179 median home price
$95,490 median income · $529,867 median home price
$75,250 median income · $748,296 median home price
$73,925 median income · $639,812 median home price
$80,261 median income · $508,256 median home price
$84,732 median income · $485,137 median home price
$75,598 median income · $570,556 median home price
$77,000 median income · $486,041 median home price
$78,237 median income · $462,125 median home price
$71,283 median income · $596,540 median home price
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Montana’s statewide median.
Montana statewide median: $72,509
Montana statewide median: $466,917
On the map
Where Montana’s richest counties are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which Montana county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Montana, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Montana for each of the criteria from one to 56, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Montana.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Treasure State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Montana. The median Montana home is 43 years old — old enough that it pays to compare home warranty plans before something expensive breaks.
The full plate
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Montana
Click any column to sort. Search by county name.
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gallatin County | 124,074 | $93,528 | $697,179 |
| 2 | Jefferson County | 12,774 | $95,490 | $529,867 |
| 3 | Madison County | 9,223 | $75,250 | $748,296 |
| 4 | Flathead County | 110,695 | $73,925 | $639,812 |
| 4 | Carbon County | 11,116 | $80,261 | $508,256 |
| 6 | Stillwater County | 9,182 | $84,732 | $485,137 |
| 7 | Missoula County | 120,672 | $75,598 | $570,556 |
| 8 | Sweet Grass County | 3,720 | $77,000 | $486,041 |
| 9 | Lewis and Clark County | 73,464 | $78,237 | $462,125 |
| 10 | Ravalli County | 46,727 | $71,283 | $596,540 |
| 11 | Park County | 17,710 | $70,047 | $601,228 |
| 11 | Yellowstone County | 168,957 | $76,570 | $393,359 |
| 13 | Broadwater County | 7,668 | $70,374 | $524,251 |
| 14 | Teton County | 6,353 | $70,430 | $349,224 |
| 14 | Lake County | 32,561 | $63,360 | $585,034 |
| 16 | Meagher County | 2,007 | $71,932 | $312,169 |
| 17 | Richland County | 11,235 | $73,084 | $274,829 |
| 18 | Garfield County | 1,094 | $69,583 | $337,113 |
| 19 | Cascade County | 84,606 | $67,690 | $337,138 |
| 20 | Mineral County | 4,959 | $63,450 | $382,886 |
| 22 | Beaverhead County | 9,713 | $61,268 | $399,744 |
| 22 | Powell County | 7,053 | $66,923 | $318,530 |
| 22 | Granite County | 3,462 | $59,265 | $442,322 |
| 24 | Custer County | 11,961 | $70,605 | $246,185 |
| 26 | Powder River County | 1,815 | $67,045 | $299,261 |
| 26 | Fergus County | 11,687 | $63,706 | $314,071 |
| 26 | Fallon County | 2,760 | $76,250 | $192,157 |
| 28 | McCone County | 1,670 | $69,375 | $254,778 |
| 29 | Sanders County | 13,285 | $57,476 | $447,471 |
| 30 | Treasure County | 732 | $67,917 | $246,157 |
| 31 | Dawson County | 8,827 | $71,334 | $192,885 |
| 32 | Valley County | 7,519 | $71,695 | $182,545 |
| 32 | Silver Bow County | 35,785 | $61,754 | $280,525 |
| 34 | Judith Basin County | 2,071 | $59,000 | $304,861 |
| 34 | Wibaux County | 1,193 | $67,462 | $239,789 |
| 36 | Chouteau County | 5,906 | $58,218 | $314,698 |
| 37 | Lincoln County | 21,175 | $47,143 | $426,012 |
| 39 | Deer Lodge County | 9,597 | $57,527 | $286,576 |
| 39 | Blaine County | 6,949 | $64,813 | $214,055 |
| 39 | Sheridan County | 3,669 | $70,147 | $176,230 |
| 41 | Golden Valley County | 899 | $58,333 | $248,587 |
| 42 | Musselshell County | 5,152 | $58,920 | $241,728 |
| 43 | Petroleum County | 447 | $60,208 | $211,297 |
| 44 | Big Horn County | 12,891 | $58,750 | $217,738 |
| 45 | Pondera County | 6,035 | $52,338 | $260,328 |
| 45 | Liberty County | 1,952 | $57,857 | $223,792 |
| 47 | Hill County | 16,155 | $52,798 | $231,658 |
| 48 | Phillips County | 4,221 | $53,417 | $223,069 |
| 49 | Rosebud County | 8,165 | $49,914 | $224,632 |
| 49 | Toole County | 5,061 | $57,731 | $181,922 |
| 51 | Carter County | 1,308 | $54,167 | $187,364 |
| 52 | Daniels County | 1,494 | $55,625 | $168,085 |
| 52 | Roosevelt County | 10,526 | $57,063 | $143,771 |
| 54 | Wheatland County | 2,056 | $49,489 | $176,919 |
| 55 | Glacier County | 13,637 | $46,875 | $178,024 |
| 56 | Prairie County | 1,250 | $51,250 | $139,580 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS + Zillow via Saturday Night Science. All 56 Montana counties.
Summary
Summary: The Richest Counties In Montana For 2026
Living in Montana can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Montana are Gallatin County, Jefferson County, Madison County, Flathead County, Carbon County, Stillwater County, Missoula County, Sweet Grass County, Lewis and Clark County, and Ravalli County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome. Not sold on Montana? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Richest Counties In Montana FAQs
What is the richest county in Montana?
Gallatin County is the richest county in Montana for 2026, with a median household income of $93,528. Jefferson County and Madison County are next.
What are the richest counties in Montana?
The richest counties in Montana are Gallatin County, Jefferson County, Madison County, Flathead County, Carbon County, Stillwater County, Missoula County, Sweet Grass County, Lewis and Clark County, and Ravalli County. We ranked all 56 Montana counties on average home price and median income.
How much do people make in Gallatin County?
The median household in Gallatin County earns $93,528 a year, against a Montana statewide median of $72,509. The US median household income is $74,580.
What do homes cost in the richest counties of Montana?
The median home across the ten richest Montana counties is $550,212, versus $466,917 statewide. In Gallatin County, the typical home runs $697,179.
What is the poorest county in Montana?
Prairie County is the poorest county in Montana by this ranking, coming in last of the 56 counties we scored on income and home prices.
