Jefferson County, Montana Eviction Risk: Very Low

Jefferson County, Montana scores 1.7/10 on eviction risk, placing it in the Low tier and ranking 45th of 56 Montana eviction laws counties, meaning 44 counties carry more risk for landlords and only 11 are more landlord-friendly. For investors and operators, that composite figure reflects a county where renter distress is relatively contained: the average rent burden sits at 25.6% of income, the poverty rate is just 6.3%, and renters make up only 16.3% of households across a total population of roughly 9,686. Average asking rent runs $1,326 per month, a level that tracks Montana eviction laws's broader rural market without the affordability pressure that drives filings in larger metros.

Within the county the spread is modest but real, running from 1.5 at the low end to 2.2 at the high end across 12 cities. That 0.7-point range is enough to meaningfully shift the risk calculus from one community to the next, so landlords evaluating specific acquisitions should look at city-level scores rather than relying on the county average alone.

The cities inside Jefferson County

The highest-risk communities in the county are Basin (2.2/10, population 352) and Clancy (2.1/10, population 1,874). Both still register as Low risk in absolute terms, but they sit well above the county floor and warrant closer screening of applicants and tighter lease documentation. Willow Creek (2/10) and Unionville (1.9/10, population 412) round out the upper tier, while Whitehall (1.8/10, population 1,156) occupies the middle of the range.

At the lower end of the risk spectrum, Montana City (1.5/10), the county's most populous community at 3,092 residents, Boulder (1.5/10, population 1,284), and South Hills (1.5/10) all match the county floor. Jefferson City comes in at 1.6/10. The difference between a 1.5 score and a 2.2 score may look small numerically, but it reflects meaningfully different tenant-pool and vacancy dynamics, reinforcing why risk assessments need to be hyper-local.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Jefferson County operates under MCA § 70-24, Montana eviction laws's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. For non-payment of rent or a curable lease violation, the required notice period is 3 days. No-cause terminations at end of term require a 30-day notice. Montana eviction laws does not require just cause to end a tenancy, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so Jefferson County landlords face no local cap on rents. Understanding the full Montana eviction laws eviction process matters here: uncontested cases typically resolve in 21 to 45 days, while contested matters can extend to 45 to 120 days. The Montana eviction costs stack up from 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. Landlords must also give 24 hours notice before entry under MCA § 70-24-303, and retaliation against tenants for asserting rights is prohibited under MCA § 70-24-431.

With a poverty rate of 6.3% and renters comprising just 16.3% of Jefferson County households, the tenant pool here is small and relatively stable, though the city grid above shows that Basin and Clancy eviction risk carry noticeably more exposure than the county average suggests.