Home Insurance in Jefferson County, Montana
With a median home value of $446,900, Jefferson County is 19% higher than the Montana median.
The typical home in Jefferson County was built around 1990. Older homes can cost more to insure or rebuild because of aging wiring, roofing and plumbing. About 16% of homes were built before 1960, about 9 points below Montana's 26%.
The housing stock in Jefferson County is 85% single-family homes, 1% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 11% mobile or manufactured homes. Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy.
60% of owner-occupied homes in Jefferson County carry a mortgage, and mortgage lenders require hazard insurance for as long as the loan is active.
About 84% of occupied homes in Jefferson County are owner-occupied. The vacancy rate is 8%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy.
Homes heated with propane and wood can carry added fire risk. Fuel-tank leaks and spills are often excluded from standard homeowners policies. 46% of homes in Jefferson County are primarily heated with natural gas.
Per FEMA's National Risk Index, Jefferson County's top hazards are wildfire (Relatively Moderate), winter weather (Relatively Moderate) and earthquake (Relatively Low). Standard homeowners policies exclude earthquake, so separate coverage is usually needed.
Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so flood coverage needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy. As of September 2026, Jefferson County has 23 active NFIP flood policies on file.
According to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data), a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in Montana carries a statewide average premium of $1,768 per year.
Key figures
| Median home value | $446,900 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Owner-occupied share | 84% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 60% |
| Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) | Wildfire (Relatively Moderate), Winter Weather (Relatively Moderate), Earthquake (Relatively Low) |
| Active NFIP flood policies (county) | 23 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,768 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Towns and cities
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files (2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (2024)
- FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025)
- FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (2026)
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owners Insurance: Data for 2023 (published 2026) (2023)