Custer County, Montana Eviction Risk: Very Low

Custer County, Montana eviction laws posts an average eviction-risk score of 1.6/10, placing it squarely in the Low risk tier and in the lower-risk third of all Montana counties. At rank 48 of 56 statewide, 47 Montana eviction laws counties carry higher risk, and only 8 are considered more landlord-friendly, making Custer County a relatively stable operating environment for investors and residential landlords alike. With an average rent of $926 and a rent-burden rate of 26.8%, tenants here are not severely cost-pressured by statewide standards, which historically correlates with lower delinquency and fewer contested eviction cases.

Across the county's 2 tracked cities, scores range narrowly from 1.2 to 1.6, a spread tight enough that no single municipality significantly skews the county average. The total population of 8,408 is concentrated almost entirely in one place, so the intra-county picture is more a tale of one real market and one near-empty rural dot than a competitive multi-city landscape. Landlords evaluating a purchase here should look past the county average and assess each city on its own footprint.

The cities inside Custer County

Miles City is the county seat and its dominant population center, home to 8,407 of the county's 8,408 residents, and it carries the highest risk score in the county at 1.6/10. That score still sits firmly in the Low tier, and it reflects the combined weight of factors such as a renter share of 36.1% and a poverty rate of 12.5%. For landlords, Miles City eviction risk represents the county's only meaningful rental market at scale, with all the operational variables that come with a small, service-economy-driven Plains town.

Ismay, the county's only other tracked city, scores 1.2/10 with a population of 1. It is effectively a hamlet, and its low score reflects near-zero rental activity rather than uniquely favorable landlord conditions. Investors should treat Ismay as a statistical placeholder rather than an operational opportunity. The practical takeaway is that eviction risk in Custer County is hyper-local: Miles City is the only market worth underwriting.

State-level laws that apply here

Every Custer County landlord operates under Montana eviction laws state law, specifically the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, codified at MCA § 70-24. For nonpayment of rent or an uncured lease violation, the required notice period is 3 days. A no-cause termination at the end of a lease term requires 30 days notice. Montana eviction laws does not require just cause for eviction and the state preempts local rent control, so no city or county in Montana eviction laws may impose its own caps on rent increases. Landlords researching the full Montana eviction laws eviction process should note that uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days, while contested matters can run 45 to 120 days.

Montana eviction costs can accumulate quickly once an action is filed. Court filing fees run $90 to $170, sheriff lockout fees add another $40 to $125, and attorney fees, if needed, range from $500 to $2,500. Understanding Montana eviction costs in full, before acquiring a property, is essential risk management in any market, even a low-risk one like Custer County. Landlords must also give tenants at least 24 hours notice before entry, per MCA § 70-24-303.

With a poverty rate of 12.5% and a renter share of 36.1%, Custer County's tenant base is stable relative to higher-risk Montana eviction laws counties; see the city grid above for Miles City eviction risk and Ismay scores side by side.