Hill County, Montana Eviction Risk: Very Low

Hill County, Montana eviction laws carries a county-wide eviction-risk score of 2.4/10 (Low), but that headline figure masks meaningful variation across its 22 cities and unincorporated places. The intra-county range runs from 1.8 to 2.7, a gap that matters when a landlord is choosing between adjacent markets. For an operator used to higher-risk urban environments, this part of north-central Montana generally presents a calmer regulatory picture, though a poverty rate of 20.9% and a renter share of 41.5% mean tenant financial stress is a real factor to underwrite.

With 14,795 total residents and an average rent of $755, Hill County is a small, rent-affordable market. Average rent burden sits at 26.2% of income, which is below the threshold that typically correlates with high nonpayment rates. That said, the county ranks 14 of 56 Montana counties by risk, placing it in the higher-risk third of the state: 13 counties are riskier, but 42 are more landlord-friendly. Investors should recognize this is not a default-safe market; it simply carries fewer regulatory headwinds than the state's worst spots.

The cities inside Hill County

The highest-risk addresses in the county are Rudyard (2.7/10, population 312) and Havre North (2.6/10, population 890). Both score meaningfully above the county average, and Rudyard sits at the very top of the county's risk range. Sangrey and Gildford each come in at 2.5/10, continuing a cluster of elevated-risk smaller communities that warrant closer tenant-screening diligence.

At the other end, St. Pierre posts the county's lowest score at 1.8/10 (population 394), with Azure and Beaver Creek both at 2.2/10. Havre, the county seat and by far the largest city at 9,258 residents, holds a score of 2.4/10, exactly at the county average. Risk in Hill County is genuinely hyper-local: the spread between Rudyard and St. Pierre is nearly a full point, which is a substantial operational difference even within a single rural county.

State-level laws that apply here

Under MCA § 70-24 (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), Montana landlords follow a notice structure that is relatively direct. For nonpayment of rent, the required notice period is 3 days. A lease-violation cure notice is also 3 days. A no-cause end-of-term termination requires 30 days notice. Montana does not require just cause to terminate a tenancy, and the state preempts local rent control, so no city in Hill County can impose rent caps. Reviewing the Montana eviction process in full is useful before filing, because uncontested cases still run 21 to 45 days and contested proceedings can stretch 45 to 120 days.

Montana eviction costs include a court filing fee of $90 to $170, a sheriff lockout fee of $40 to $125, and attorney fees of $500 to $2,500 depending on case complexity, so a contested eviction can easily cost well over $2,500 in direct outlays. Montana security deposit limits and Montana tenant protections are both governed at the state level, meaning the rules are uniform across every city in Hill County regardless of local politics. Landlords must also give 24 hours notice before entering an occupied unit under state law.

With a poverty rate of 20.9% and renters making up 41.5% of households, Hill County carries meaningful tenant financial risk even at a low overall score; review the city grid above to identify which of the county's 22 communities sit closest to your target risk tolerance before committing capital.