Living in Malta, MT
Phillips County
Malta is a real, genuinely small, remote north-central Montana town on the Hi-Line (US Highway 2), the county seat of sparsely populated Phillips County, with a population running approximately 1,854 as of a 2026 projection -- essentially flat against 1,860 at the 2020 Census. Malta's housing runs genuinely affordable relative to Montana's own elevated statewide averages: a median home price of approximately $130,200 (Ownwell), though Malta's own 1.33% effective property tax rate runs genuinely above both the national median and Montana's own statewide median, producing a moderate $1,718 median annual tax bill only because Malta's home values themselves run so low. Malta's economy centers on Phillips County's real, defining agriculture and ranching base, with Phillips County Hospital standing as a significant local employer. Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge, a genuine 15,551-acre migratory-bird wetland refuge on the Central Flyway, sits approximately 7 miles northeast of town. Montana's statewide tax structure -- no general sales tax, a 5.65% top income tax rate for 2026 -- applies here as it does statewide.
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Learn moreHousing
Taxes
Not independently sourced at the Phillips County level this session. Montana's top state income tax rate is 5.65%. See the Montana hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Malta-specific.
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Get local guidanceThe tradeoffs
Pros
Genuinely affordable home prices ($130,200 median) relative to Montana's own elevated statewide averages; a moderate dollar property tax bill despite an elevated rate; Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge's real, genuine outdoor-recreation and birding draw minutes from town; Montana's real lack of a general sales tax and moderate, currently-cutting income tax.
Cons
A real, disclosed effective property tax RATE (1.33%) running above both the national and Montana statewide medians -- a genuine local exception to Montana's low-property-tax reputation; a confirmed, current named-employer list beyond Phillips County Hospital was not found with confidence this pass; genuine remoteness and a small, car-dependent population base with essentially flat growth.
Who this fits
Best for: Best fits budget-conscious movers prioritizing low home prices, comfortable with a very small, remote, car-dependent north-central Montana ranching town and needing to confirm current employer and job-market data directly.
Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers seeking a diversified local job market, walkable urban amenities, or a low property tax RATE specifically -- Malta's own effective rate runs genuinely above both the national and Montana statewide medians even though the resulting dollar bill stays moderate.
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