Montana couple built their dream home 26 years ago — now a 107% spike to their property taxes could push them out

Rising spot taxes are hitting homeowners hard crossed the country. But for seniors connected a fixed income, it could beryllium putting their status astatine risk.

For Dan and Carol Webster, their imagination location successful Bozeman, Montana has go a taxation nightmare. The mates built their location successful 2005 connected the borderline of what was past a quiescent upland municipality successful the Gallatin Valley.

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"We stayed location and saved our wealth truthful that someday, similar now, we could unrecorded the beingness that we privation to live," Dan told MTN News (1).

Back successful 2005, the municipality had a colonisation of 32,400 people. But Bozeman — present nicknamed "Boz Angeles" — is 1 of the state's fastest-growing cities, with a existent colonisation of astir 60,000 (2).

And that's driven up location values. Over the past year, the Websters saw their yearly spot taxation measure summation 107%, doubling from $25,885 successful 2024 to $53,662 successful 2025.

Now the Websters — some approaching 80 years aged — find themselves successful the presumption of being location rich, but income poor, due to the fact that they "can't wage the taxes." Dan feels similar they're being forced retired of Bozeman.

Property taxes are rising crossed the U.S.

The Websters aren't unsocial successful their predicament. Property taxes are rising faster than ostentation crossed the U.S., according to an investigation from existent property information steadfast ATTOM. In 2025, the mean homeowner paid $4,427 successful spot taxes, up 3% from 2024 (3).

This increase, however, corresponded with a driblet successful mean estimated location worth betwixt 2024 and 2025.

"Higher taxation bills combined with declining location values led to an summation successful effectual taxation rates, underscoring the relation of section authorities costs and shifting taxation policies," Rob Barber, CEO astatine ATTOM, said successful a statement. "Regional disparities persist, with the Northeast and Midwest continuing to spot the highest burdens."

In comparison, the Consumer Price Index — a wide utilized measurement of user ostentation — accrued 2.7% past twelvemonth (4).

Property taxes are driven by the gross needs of section authorities (rather than user prices). They're utilized to money nationalist services specified arsenic schools, roads, instrumentality enforcement and exigency aesculapian services, accounting for 70% of section taxation collections successful 2023, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation (5).