The story of this market
The typical home in Sanders County, Montana sells for about $545,400, or $258 per square foot.
Prices are up +21.3% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 112 days to sell, which is slow. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 250% since 2000. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,117 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,117 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively Moderate.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
+2%
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 (+23.8%). Worst: 2012 (-8.3%). 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
$1,331
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
+2%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 3 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
85
Relatively Moderate
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $9,009,880.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
71.5%
2018 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 374 | 164 | 71.5% | 4.3% | $235,000 |
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 Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded).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.
Sanders County, Montana
Sanders County is experiencing a period of price appreciation driven by limited inventory and sustained interest from out-of-state buyers. While the market has cooled from its peak, demand for rural residential properties remains steady, keeping upward pressure on prices.
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 · 5 cities · 7 ZIP reports
Median prices moved sideways 0.0% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 0 days on market with 0.0 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
0% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 0.2% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 4.8% · poverty 12.8% — a stable, low-distress profile.
Deterministic aggregate of 3 researched ZIP reports of 7 — 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.
Sanders 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 9.6%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
No researched properties in this county yet — the property base layer populates as property research runs, and each property feeds its ZIP's roll-up.
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
researched Sep 27
| 59831 | Dixon | $834,000 | $406 | +19% | 88 | — | — | — | 60 | $738 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59844 | Heron | $825,000 | $362 | — | 47 | 100% | — | 1 | 3 | $1,284 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59845 | Hot Springs | $174,200 | $749 | — | — | — | — | — | — | $723 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59856 | Paradise | $425,000 | $215 | +3.2% | 88 | 97.5% | 15% | 6.5 | 12 | $1,450 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59859 | Plains | $425,000 | $245 | +2.4% | 88 | 97.5% | 12% | 7.2 | 42 | $865 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59871 | Sula | $423,000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,125 | researched Sep 27 |
| 59873 | Thompson Falls | $475,000 | $238 | +0.5% | 52 | 98% | — | 5.2 | 10 | $543 | 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.
Schools in Sanders County are primarily served by small, rural districts; quality is generally characterized by community-focused instruction with limited extracurricular breadth compared to urban centers.
The region faces significant wildfire risk during summer months and localized flood risks along the Clark Fork River, impacting insurance availability and premium costs.
Economic momentum is driven by natural resource management, tourism, and small-scale service sectors, with limited large-scale industrial development.
Property taxes are assessed by the Sanders County Clerk and Recorder based on state-mandated appraisal cycles, with mill levies determined by local school districts and county government.
The area is rich in outdoor amenities, including the Clark Fork River for fishing and boating, extensive national forest trails for hiking, and proximity to the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness.
The rental market is characterized by limited inventory and high demand for affordable housing, with a notable presence of older single-family stock and minimal multi-family development.
The economy is anchored by agriculture, timber, and tourism, with local government and healthcare serving as primary employers.
Transportation is primarily reliant on private vehicles via Highway 200 and Highway 28, with no significant public transit infrastructure.
The Sanders County Assessor manages property valuations based on cyclical state-mandated reappraisals.
Parcels are subject to various school district levies and potential fire district assessments.
Insurance markets are tightening due to increased wildfire risk, leading to higher premiums and stricter underwriting requirements.
- Rimrock Lodge LLC4.311.2 mi
- Thompson Falls State Recreation Area4.612 mi
- Thompson Falls State Recreation Area4.612 mi
- Island Park4.810.4 mi
Theme parks, venues, golf, airports, museums, water and shopping across the area 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.
Major regional artery for fishing, boating, and recreation.
Extensive public land for hiking and wildlife viewing.
Provides vast acreage for hunting, camping, and outdoor activities.
Data retrieved from US Census QuickFacts and local economic profiles.
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.