Montana is home to more than 97,000 veterans — anchored by Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls and Fort Harrison near Helena — and the state provides property tax assistance, free college tuition for dependents of 100% P&T veterans, and growing military retirement tax exemptions. Here is the complete 2025 guide to Montana veterans benefits.
Montana presents a unique challenge for veterans benefits delivery: a state the size of Germany with fewer than 1.1 million people spread across vast distances, limited public transportation, and significant geographic barriers. Its 97,000-plus veterans are concentrated in a handful of communities — Great Falls (Malmstrom AFB), Helena (Fort Harrison, home of the Montana Veterans Affairs Division), Billings, Missoula, and Kalispell — but tens of thousands more live in rural counties where the nearest VA facility may be hours away.
Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls is home to the 341st Missile Wing, the only active-duty ICBM wing still utilizing the Minuteman III, and generates a significant veteran population in Cascade County and throughout central Montana. Fort Harrison near Helena serves as a joint military installation and is home to the Montana Army National Guard and the Montana Veterans Affairs Division headquarters.
Understanding the unique geographic context of Montana is essential to understanding how to use its veterans benefits effectively. Many Montana veterans need to be proactive about telehealth, community care referrals, and state benefit programs that can supplement VA care — because distance from a VA medical center is a real barrier, not an inconvenience.
Disabled veterans property tax assistance for income-qualified SC disabled veterans (MCA 15-6-311).
Children of veterans who died in service or are 100% P&T receive free tuition at Montana state universities.
Montana military retirement pay exemption is growing — partially deductible with a clear legislative trend toward full exemption.
Montana's rural geography makes VA telehealth and Community Care referrals especially critical for veterans across the state.
Montana provides property tax assistance for veterans with service-connected disabilities under Montana Code Annotated § 15-6-311. Unlike some states that provide an automatic full exemption at 100% P&T, Montana's program is structured as income-qualified assistance — meaning the benefit available to a given veteran depends on both their disability status and their household income.
Under MCA 15-6-311, Montana veterans with a service-connected disability rating who meet income thresholds set by the legislature are eligible for a reduction in property taxes on their primary residence. The income limits and maximum reduction amounts are adjusted by the legislature and may change from year to year — veterans should contact the Montana Department of Revenue for the most current thresholds and benefit amounts.
The program is particularly important for disabled veterans living on fixed incomes — VA disability compensation, military retirement pay, or Social Security — who may face property tax burdens that are difficult to sustain without assistance. Veterans who believe they may qualify should not assume the income limits are too low to apply; Montana's income thresholds are structured to reach a significant portion of the disabled veteran population.
Veterans with a 100% Permanent and Total service-connected disability rating are eligible for the most significant property tax reduction available under Montana's program. While the structure is income-qualified rather than an automatic full exemption like some states offer, veterans at 100% P&T with qualifying income levels can see substantial reductions in their property tax burden on their primary residence.
Montana veterans at 100% P&T should apply even if they believe their income may be too high — the income thresholds may be broader than expected, and the benefit is worth pursuing. Missing the application deadline means missing a year of relief.
If you are not yet at the disability rating that maximizes your property tax relief, every year matters. Use our Disability Rating Calculator to see whether you have conditions that could support a higher rating, then start your claim.
Editorial Standards: This article was written by Marcus J. Webb, a veterans benefits researcher who has studied 38 CFR Part 4, the VA M21-1 Adjudication Manual, and thousands of BVA decisions. Content is verified against current 38 CFR regulations and VA.gov guidance. Last reviewed: April 2026. Not legal advice — for representation on your specific claim, talk to a VA-accredited attorney.
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