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Montana: county data, all 56 of them.

1,116,875 residents across 56 county-equivalents, 42,150 business establishments, and 1,939 SBA approvals worth $1.11 bn. Every figure on this page is those counties summed, and every county has its own page.

32 state-level values · 56 county pages · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency

How many people live in Montana?

  • Population1,116,875
  • Households458,859
  • Average household size2.43
  • County-equivalents56
  • People per square mile8

Montana has 1,116,875 residents in 458,859 households across 56 county-equivalents, every one of which has its own data page below.

US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.

What is the Montana economy?

  • Combined county product, 2024$78.44 bn
  • County product per resident$70,233
  • Covered employment499,474
  • Average annual pay$58,806

The average annual pay of $58,806 is weighted by each county's covered employment, not averaged across counties, so a large labour market counts for more than a small one.

US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.

How many businesses are in Montana?

  • Business establishments42,150
  • Establishments per 1,000 residents37.7
  • Employment at those establishments402,116
  • Annual payroll$21.25 bn

US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.

Building permits in Montana

  • Housing units permitted5,367
  • Permitted construction value$1.35 bn
  • Units permitted per 1,000 households11.7

US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.

SBA loans in Montana (7(a) and 504)

  • 7(a) approvals recorded1,377
  • 7(a) approval dollars$720.3 m
  • Average 7(a) approval$523,063
  • 504 approvals recorded562
  • 504 approval dollars$389.8 m
  • Average 504 approval$693,530
  • Counties with a 7(a) record47 of 56

US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.

SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Montana

  • 7(a) charge-off rate over resolved loans3.60 percent
  • Resolved 7(a) loans behind that rate360
  • 7(a) loans charged off13
  • 504 charge-off rate over resolved loans0.00 percent
  • Resolved 504 loans behind that rate145
  • 504 loans charged off0

Of the 360 Montana 7(a) loans that have reached a final outcome, 3.60 percent were charged off. The rate is taken over resolved loans only, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed.

Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.

US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.

How large is Montana?

  • Land area145,543 sq mi
  • County-equivalents56
  • People per square mile8

US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.

The largest counties in Montana.

Montana county-equivalents by population, with the figures a site search compares them on
GeographyPopulationMedian incomeEstablishmentsCounty GDPSBA approvals
Yellowstone County168,957$76,5706,060$14.02 bn427
Gallatin County124,074$93,5286,828$11.88 bn365
Missoula County120,672$75,5984,816$9.09 bn177
Flathead County110,695$73,9255,092$7.21 bn260
Cascade County84,606$67,6902,472$5.71 bn131
Lewis and Clark County73,464$78,2372,603$5.69 bn118
Ravalli County46,727$71,2831,715$1.93 bn56
Silver Bow County35,785$61,7541,208$2.22 bn23
Lake County32,561$63,360991$1.35 bn62
Lincoln County21,175$47,143671$880.5 m12

Counties

All 56 Montana county-equivalents.

Montana counties: population, income, establishments and SBA activity
GeographyPopulationMedian incomeEstablishmentsCounty GDPSBA approvalsLand area, sq mi
Beaverhead County9,713$61,268399$672.5 m105,542
Big Horn County12,891$58,750181$1.29 bn54,995
Blaine County6,949$64,813135$227.4 m84,228
Broadwater County7,668$70,374207$306.5 m51,193
Carbon County11,116$80,261474$523.7 m372,049
Carter County1,308$54,16728$92.1 mNone recorded3,341
Cascade County84,606$67,6902,472$5.71 bn1312,698
Chouteau County5,906$58,218153$292.5 m63,972
Custer County11,961$70,605454$695.6 m163,783
Daniels County1,494$55,62576$122.6 m31,426
Dawson County8,827$71,334295$515.1 m102,372
Deer Lodge County9,597$57,527312$431.3 m6737
Fallon County2,760$76,250127$223.5 m31,621
Fergus County11,687$63,706444$776.7 m154,340
Flathead County110,695$73,9255,092$7.21 bn2605,088
Gallatin County124,074$93,5286,828$11.88 bn3652,603
Garfield County1,094$69,58329$43.0 mNone recorded4,675
Glacier County13,637$46,875230$649.7 m22,996
Golden Valley County899$58,33310$32.9 mNone recorded1,175
Granite County3,462$59,265119$165.8 m51,727
Hill County16,155$52,798493$925.3 m52,899
Jefferson County12,774$95,490342$392.8 m191,656
Judith Basin County2,071$59,00060$138.6 m11,870
Lake County32,561$63,360991$1.35 bn621,490
Lewis and Clark County73,464$78,2372,603$5.69 bn1183,459
Liberty County1,952$57,85769$323.8 m21,430
Lincoln County21,175$47,143671$880.5 m123,613
Madison County9,223$75,250427$651.0 m63,587
McCone County1,670$69,37557$150.8 m12,643
Meagher County2,007$71,93293$89.7 m42,392
Mineral County4,959$63,450144$163.6 m41,219
Missoula County120,672$75,5984,816$9.09 bn1772,593
Musselshell County5,152$58,920118$513.9 m11,868
Park County17,710$70,047943$898.9 m272,803
Petroleum County447$60,20811$22.7 mNone recorded1,655
Phillips County4,221$53,417135$163.8 m75,140
Pondera County6,035$52,338182$302.1 m51,623
Powder River County1,815$67,04568$153.1 m23,297
Powell County7,053$66,923176$356.5 m12,326
Prairie County1,250$51,25035$62.1 mNone recorded1,737
Ravalli County46,727$71,2831,715$1.93 bn562,391
Richland County11,235$73,084498$1.19 bn202,084
Roosevelt County10,526$57,063206$549.3 m52,355
Rosebud County8,165$49,914178$1.08 bn75,010
Sanders County13,285$57,476394$552.2 m142,761
Sheridan County3,669$70,147152$240.8 m21,677
Silver Bow County35,785$61,7541,208$2.22 bn23718
Stillwater County9,182$84,732263$725.1 m141,795
Sweet Grass County3,720$77,000187$314.8 m61,855
Teton County6,353$70,430232$299.9 m42,272
Toole County5,061$57,731174$488.9 m21,916
Treasure County732$67,91717$107.7 mNone recorded977
Valley County7,519$71,695276$394.0 m154,926
Wheatland County2,056$49,48960$107.4 m11,423
Wibaux County1,193$67,46231$59.2 m2889
Yellowstone County168,957$76,5706,060$14.02 bn4272,633

The register

Every source behind these 56 pages.

SourcePeriod coveredLicence
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates2020-2024 5-yearUS Census Bureau, public domain
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024US Census Bureau, public domain
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2CAGDP2, through 2024US Bureau of Economic Analysis, public domain
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001US EPA, public domain
FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status BookCommunity Status Book, as retrievedFEMA OpenFEMA, public domain
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA releaseFY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30FOIA release, public domain
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA releaseFY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30FOIA release, public domain
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary verticesTIGER county boundariesUS Census Bureau, public domain
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns2023US Census Bureau, public domain
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages2024 annual averagesUS BLS, public domain
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey2024 annualUS Census Bureau, public domain
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows2021 to 2022 filing yearsIRS SOI, public domain

A Montana statutory guide is in preparation.

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