Custer County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Custer County, Montana had an estimated 11,964 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 11,866, across 3,783 square miles. County output reached $695.6 m in 2024, 454 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $6.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Custer County
How many people live in Custer County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202411,961
- Households5,038
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$70,605
- Median age42.7
- Median gross rent$893 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$219,100
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher27.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over8,668
- Population under 182,369
- Share under 1819.8 percent
- Population 65 and over2,482
- Share 65 and over20.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,110
- Civilian labor force6,513
- Unemployment rate3.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.9 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties17th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2354th of 3,222
Custer County is the 17th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 20.8 percent against 19.8 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.
Custer County
Is Custer County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202411,964
- Census 2020 base population11,866
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.83 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-49
- Births, 2024139
- Deaths, 2024149
- Natural change, 2024-10
- Net domestic migration, 2024-41
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 2024-39
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024216
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1541st of 3,144
The county has grown 0.83 percent since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Custer County
Where are people moving to Custer County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving326
- People arriving, from those returns583
- Tax returns filed by households leaving276
- Net household movement50
- Adjusted gross income arriving$16.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$2.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$50,285
- Average income of a leaving household$49,920
- Largest single originYellowstone County (35 households)
- Largest single destinationYellowstone County (30 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone County | 35 | 61 | $1.4 m |
Households arriving report $365 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 Yellowstone 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.
Custer County
What is the Custer County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$695.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$624.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202411.4 percent
- GDP change over five years40.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Montana areas BEA publishes18th of 56
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2146th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$58,157
Output grew 11.4 percent in the latest year and 40.6 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.
Custer County
Employment by industry in Custer County
- Covered employment, annual average5,400
- Establishments reporting556
- Average annual pay$50,339
- Average weekly wage$968
- Retail trade, employment837
- Retail trade, average annual pay$38,179
- Accommodation and food services, employment622
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$22,375
- Finance and insurance, employment329
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$78,757
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment238
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$48,820
- Other services, except public administration, employment186
- Construction, employment175
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 837 | 56 | $38,179 |
| Accommodation and food services | 622 | 40 | $22,375 |
| Finance and insurance | 329 | 34 | $78,757 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 238 | 33 | $48,820 |
| Other services, except public administration | 186 | 35 | $34,396 |
| Construction | 175 | 50 | $59,860 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 143 | 18 | $17,385 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 116 | 25 | $45,806 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 837 jobs, 15.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Custer County
How many businesses are in Custer County?
- Establishments, all industries454
- Employment at those establishments4,264
- Annual payroll$207.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents38.0
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.
Custer County
Building permits in Custer County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241
- Declared construction value permitted$59,000
- Single family units authorized1
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$59,000
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.2
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Custer County
SBA loans in Custer County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$6.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$630,273
- Median 7(a) approval$225,800
- Largest single approval$2,390,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)108
- Jobs per approval9.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals8
- Median 7(a) term240 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer63.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals45.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (3)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.3 m
- Average 504 approval$457,800
- Median 504 approval$452,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval8.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.9
- Most active CDCBig Sky Economic Development Corporation (3)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$9.2 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.
Custer County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Custer County
Do SBA loans in Custer County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure10
Only 1 loan has 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.
Custer County
How large is Custer County?
- Land area3,783 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties11th of 56
- Width, east to west69.5 mi
- Height, north to south74.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land3
- Establishments per square mile0.12
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.
Custer County
Flood risk in Custer County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Custer County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 300147
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 7
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Custer 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 Custer County (community 300147), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Custer 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. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 7, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 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 Custer 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 Custer County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202411,961
- Households5,038
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$70,605
- Median age42.7
Common questions
Custer County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Custer County, Montana?
The Census Bureau estimates 11,964 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 11,961, in 5,038 households, ranking 17th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Custer County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.83 percent since the 2020 census base of 11,866, to 11,964 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 139 births against 149 deaths, with net migration of -39. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Custer County?
$70,605. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $219,100, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $893 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Custer County?
454 establishments, employing 4,264 people with an annual payroll of $207.7 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 Custer County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 837 jobs, 15.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 5,400 jobs at an average annual pay of $50,339, or $968 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Custer County?
11 7(a) approvals totaling $6.9 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $225,800, plus 5 504 approvals worth $2.3 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Custer County?
1 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $59,000. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Custer 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 Custer County come from?
The largest single origin is Yellowstone County, with 35 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,285 against $49,920 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Custer 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 Custer 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.
Custer County
Cities and places in Custer.
2 Census places lie wholly or partly in Custer County. All 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miles City | city | 8,407 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Ismay | town | 1 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby