Blaine County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Blaine County, Montana had an estimated 6,903 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 7,040, across 4,228 square miles. County output reached $227.4 m in 2024, 135 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 8 7(a) approvals worth $2.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Blaine County
How many people live in Blaine County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20246,949
- Households2,280
- Average household size3.05
- Median household income$64,813
- Median age35.6
- Median gross rent$660 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$155,500
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,313
- Population under 182,016
- Share under 1829.0 percent
- Population 65 and over1,163
- Share 65 and over16.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,770
- Civilian labor force3,223
- Unemployment rate13.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.3 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties31st of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2740th of 3,222
Blaine County is the 31st largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 29.0 percent against 16.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Blaine County
Is Blaine County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20246,903
- Census 2020 base population7,040
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.95 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202419
- Births, 202484
- Deaths, 202468
- Natural change, 202416
- Net domestic migration, 20245
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 20244
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-141
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2488th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.95 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Blaine County
Where are people moving to Blaine County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving115
- People arriving, from those returns211
- Tax returns filed by households leaving80
- Net household movement35
- Adjusted gross income arriving$5.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$2.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$43,843
- Average income of a leaving household$29,113
- Largest single originHill County (31 households)
- Largest single destinationHill County (35 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hill County | 31 | 60 | $1.4 m |
Households arriving report $14,730 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Hill County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Blaine County
What is the Blaine County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$227.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$256.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-11.4 percent
- GDP change over five years30.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Montana areas BEA publishes39th of 56
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2851st of 3,127
- GDP per resident$32,725
Output grew -11.4 percent in the latest year and 30.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Blaine County
Employment by industry in Blaine County
- Covered employment, annual average1,319
- Establishments reporting204
- Average annual pay$47,033
- Average weekly wage$904
- Retail trade, employment186
- Retail trade, average annual pay$26,803
- Other services, except public administration, employment61
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$25,605
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment59
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$36,281
- Construction, employment40
- Construction, average annual pay$47,014
- Wholesale trade, employment33
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment33
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 186 | 24 | $26,803 |
| Other services, except public administration | 61 | 21 | $25,605 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 59 | 19 | $36,281 |
| Construction | 40 | 15 | $47,014 |
| Wholesale trade | 33 | 9 | $43,899 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 33 | 16 | $58,482 |
| Accommodation and food services | 24 | 10 | $15,826 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 16 | 5 | $67,692 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 186 jobs, 14.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Blaine County
How many businesses are in Blaine County?
- Establishments, all industries135
- Employment at those establishments1,036
- Annual payroll$59.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Blaine County
Building permits in Blaine County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorized0
- Multifamily units authorized0
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Blaine County
SBA loans in Blaine County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded8
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$259,613
- Median 7(a) approval$138,450
- Largest single approval$1,140,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)14
- Jobs per approval1.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter7
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFuneral Homes and Funeral Services (5)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Blaine County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Blaine County
Do SBA loans in Blaine County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
- Status: Cancelled2
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
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.
Blaine County
SBA lending by place in Blaine County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Chinook, approvals7
- Turner, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Chinook | 7 | $1,926,900 |
| Turner | 1 | $150,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Blaine County
How large is Blaine County?
- Land area4,228 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties9th of 56
- Width, east to west60.3 mi
- Height, north to south88.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land2
- Establishments per square mile0.03
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. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Blaine County
Flood risk in Blaine County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Blaine County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 300144
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Blaine County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Blaine County (community 300144), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Blaine County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Blaine County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Blaine County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20246,949
- Households2,280
- Average household size3.05
- Median household income$64,813
- Median age35.6
Common questions
Blaine County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Blaine County, Montana?
The Census Bureau estimates 6,903 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 6,949, in 2,280 households, ranking 31st of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Blaine County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.95 percent since the 2020 census base of 7,040, to 6,903 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 84 births against 68 deaths, with net migration of 4. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Blaine County?
$64,813. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $155,500, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $660 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Blaine County?
135 establishments, employing 1,036 people with an annual payroll of $59.7 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Blaine County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 186 jobs, 14.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,319 jobs at an average annual pay of $47,033, or $904 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Blaine County?
8 7(a) approvals totaling $2.1 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $138,450. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Blaine County?
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Blaine County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Blaine County come from?
The largest single origin is Hill County, with 31 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,843 against $29,113 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Blaine County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Blaine County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Blaine County
Cities and places in Blaine.
11 Census places lie wholly or partly in Blaine County. All 11 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook | city | 1,353 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Fort Belknap Agency | CDP | 1,227 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hays | CDP | 1,009 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Harlem | city | 822 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lodge Pole | CDP | 170 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Turner Colony | CDP | 157 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Turner | CDP | 69 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| North Harlem Colony | CDP | 67 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Zurich | CDP | 38 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hartland Colony | CDP | 29 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hogeland | CDP | 5 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby