Chouteau County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Chouteau County, Montana had an estimated 5,880 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,915, across 3,972 square miles. County output reached $292.5 m in 2024, 153 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $400,000 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Chouteau County
How many people live in Chouteau County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,906
- Households2,159
- Average household size2.74
- Median household income$58,218
- Median age43.0
- Median gross rent$536 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$207,800
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income11.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,209
- Population under 181,318
- Share under 1822.3 percent
- Population 65 and over1,381
- Share 65 and over23.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,207
- Civilian labor force2,450
- Unemployment rate3.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over53.4 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties34th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2817th of 3,222
Chouteau County is the 34th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.4 percent against 22.3 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Chouteau County
Is Chouteau County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20245,880
- Census 2020 base population5,915
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.59 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20243
- Births, 202449
- Deaths, 202445
- Natural change, 20244
- Net domestic migration, 2024-2
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 20240
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202430
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2053rd of 3,144
The county has lost 0.59 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Chouteau County
Where are people moving to Chouteau County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving141
- People arriving, from those returns255
- Tax returns filed by households leaving130
- Net household movement11
- Adjusted gross income arriving$5.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-559,000
- Average income of an arriving household$41,199
- Average income of a leaving household$48,985
- Largest single originCascade County (34 households)
- Largest single destinationCascade County (43 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade County | 34 | 52 | $1.3 m |
| Hill County | 20 | 55 | $611,000 |
Households arriving report $7,786 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Cascade 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.
Chouteau County
What is the Chouteau County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$292.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$429.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-31.9 percent
- GDP change over five years2.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Montana areas BEA publishes37th of 56
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2714th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$49,518
Output grew -31.9 percent in the latest year and 2.8 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.
Chouteau County
Employment by industry in Chouteau County
- Covered employment, annual average1,237
- Establishments reporting229
- Average annual pay$44,304
- Average weekly wage$852
- Retail trade, employment132
- Retail trade, average annual pay$53,571
- Accommodation and food services, employment83
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,238
- Manufacturing, employment61
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$56,851
- Other services, except public administration, employment58
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$45,978
- Wholesale trade, employment54
- Finance and insurance, employment47
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 132 | 20 | $53,571 |
| Accommodation and food services | 83 | 14 | $19,238 |
| Manufacturing | 61 | 6 | $56,851 |
| Other services, except public administration | 58 | 16 | $45,978 |
| Wholesale trade | 54 | 13 | $62,484 |
| Finance and insurance | 47 | 16 | $50,858 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 24 | 5 | $19,236 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 22 | 6 | $14,974 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 132 jobs, 10.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Chouteau County
How many businesses are in Chouteau County?
- Establishments, all industries153
- Employment at those establishments772
- Annual payroll$32.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.9
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.
Chouteau County
Building permits in Chouteau County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202419
- Declared construction value permitted$5.4 m
- Single family units authorized17
- Multifamily units authorized2
- Multifamily share of units10.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$285,302
- Units authorized per 1,000 households8.8
Single-family homes are 89.5 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Chouteau County
SBA loans in Chouteau County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$400,000
- Average 7(a) approval$200,000
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- Largest single approval$350,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)12
- Jobs per approval6.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term135 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$912,000
- Average 504 approval$228,000
- Median 504 approval$162,500
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval4.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved20.8
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$1.3 m
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.
Chouteau County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Chouteau County
Do SBA loans in Chouteau County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
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.
Chouteau County
SBA lending by place in Chouteau County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Big Sandy, approvals1
- Fort Benton, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Big Sandy | 1 | $350,000 |
| Fort Benton | 1 | $50,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chouteau County
How large is Chouteau County?
- Land area3,972 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties10th of 56
- Width, east to west87 mi
- Height, north to south61.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land1
- Establishments per square mile0.04
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.
Chouteau County
Flood risk in Chouteau County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book1
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Chouteau County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Chouteau 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 Chouteau 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 Chouteau County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,906
- Households2,159
- Average household size2.74
- Median household income$58,218
- Median age43.0
Common questions
Chouteau County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Chouteau County, Montana?
The Census Bureau estimates 5,880 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 5,906, in 2,159 households, ranking 34th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Chouteau County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.59 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,915, to 5,880 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 49 births against 45 deaths, with net migration of 0. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Chouteau County?
$58,218. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $207,800, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $536 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Chouteau County?
153 establishments, employing 772 people with an annual payroll of $32.4 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 Chouteau County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 132 jobs, 10.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,237 jobs at an average annual pay of $44,304, or $852 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Chouteau County?
2 7(a) approvals totaling $400,000 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $912,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Chouteau County?
19 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $5.4 m. Multifamily was 10.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Chouteau 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 Chouteau County come from?
The largest single origin is Cascade County, with 34 households. Arriving households report an average income of $41,199 against $48,985 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Chouteau 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 Chouteau 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.
Chouteau County
Cities and places in Chouteau.
13 Census places lie wholly or partly in Chouteau County. 12 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Benton | city | 1,474 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Rocky Boy West | CDP | 1,007 | None recorded | 75.1 percent here, 24.9 percent Hill County |
| Big Sandy | town | 784 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Geraldine | town | 317 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Parker School | CDP | 307 | None recorded | 5.8 percent here, 94.2 percent Hill County |
| Boneau | CDP | 277 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Highwood | CDP | 205 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Loma | CDP | 73 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Carter | CDP | 60 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Twin Hills Colony | CDP | 48 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Square Butte | CDP | 28 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Floweree | CDP | 18 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sunnybrook Colony | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |