Granite County, Montana Eviction Risk: Very Low

Granite County, Montana scores 2.7/10 on eviction risk, placing it in the Low tier on paper, but that headline number masks meaningful variation for landlords operating across its 4 cities. City-level scores range from 1.8 to 3, and with only 2 of Montana's 56 counties ranking riskier, Granite County sits in the higher-risk third of the state. For investors used to genuinely low-pressure rural Montana markets, that distinction is worth taking seriously before committing capital here.

The county's average rent of $865 per month and a rent burden averaging 39.6% of renter income signal a tenant base that is financially stretched. When renters are spending that share of income on housing, even a modest income disruption can produce non-payment situations quickly. With a renter share of 42.3% of households and a poverty rate of 15.4%, the pool of rental households skews toward cost-burdened occupants, which is a core driver of eviction-filing frequency in small rural counties.

The cities inside Granite County

Philipsburg, the county's largest city at 754 residents, carries the highest local risk score at 3/10, making it the place where landlords should underwrite most conservatively. Drummond, with a population of 277, sits right at the county average with a score of 2.7/10. These two towns account for the bulk of the county's rental activity, and both scores reflect the strain that a high rent burden puts on a small tenant pool.

At the other end of the range, Maxville scores 1.8/10, the lowest in the county and a genuinely landlord-favorable reading, while Hall comes in at 2.2/10. The spread from Maxville's 1.8 to Philipsburg's 3.0 illustrates how hyper-local risk is even within a single small county. An investor treating all of Granite County as one uniform market will either over-price risk in Maxville or under-price it in Philipsburg.

State-level laws that apply here

Every Granite County tenancy is governed by Montana state law, specifically MCA § 70-24 (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act). For non-payment of rent, landlords must serve a 3-day notice; a lease violation also triggers a 3-day cure-or-quit notice. Ending a tenancy with no stated cause requires a 30-day notice. Montana does not require just cause for non-renewal, and the state preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so no city in Granite County can impose a rent cap. Landlords should review the full Montana eviction process before filing, as uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days while contested matters can run 45 to 120 days.

On Montana eviction costs, plan for a court filing fee of $90 to $170, a sheriff lockout fee of $40 to $125, and attorney fees ranging from $500 to $2,500 depending on case complexity. Those components add up fast in a contested matter, reinforcing why thorough tenant screening up front is cheaper than a protracted removal. Landlords should also be aware of Montana security deposit limits and Montana tenant protections under MCA § 70-24-303 (habitability) and MCA § 70-24-431 (retaliation), both of which create liability exposure if ignored.

With a poverty rate of 15.4% and renters making up 42.3% of households, the financial profile of Granite County's tenant base shapes risk across all four cities in the grid above.