Daniels County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Daniels County, Montana had an estimated 1,625 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 1,656, across 1,426 square miles. County output reached $122.6 m in 2024, 76 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $1.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Daniels County
How many people live in Daniels County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20241,494
- Households734
- Average household size2.04
- Median household income$55,625
- Median age53.4
- Median gross rent$581 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$184,800
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over1,160
- Population under 18267
- Share under 1817.9 percent
- Population 65 and over473
- Share 65 and over31.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64754
- Civilian labor force817
- Unemployment rate0.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.6 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties49th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included3157th of 3,222
Daniels County is the 49th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 31.7 percent against 17.9 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.
Daniels County
Is Daniels County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20241,625
- Census 2020 base population1,656
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.87 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-1
- Births, 20248
- Deaths, 202422
- Natural change, 2024-14
- Net domestic migration, 202413
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 202414
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202418
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2472nd of 3,144
The county has lost 1.87 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Daniels County
What is the Daniels County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$122.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$119.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.9 percent
- GDP change over five years4.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Montana areas BEA publishes47th of 56
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes3028th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$82,087
Output grew 2.9 percent in the latest year and 4.7 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.
Daniels County
Employment by industry in Daniels County
- Covered employment, annual average559
- Establishments reporting100
- Average annual pay$49,725
- Average weekly wage$956
- Wholesale trade, employment63
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$65,508
- Finance and insurance, employment41
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$52,517
- Other services, except public administration, employment19
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$26,171
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment13
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$49,686
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale trade | 63 | 11 | $65,508 |
| Finance and insurance | 41 | 6 | $52,517 |
| Other services, except public administration | 19 | 8 | $26,171 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 13 | 8 | $49,686 |
Wholesale trade is the largest private sector at 63 jobs, 11.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Daniels County
How many businesses are in Daniels County?
- Establishments, all industries76
- Employment at those establishments572
- Annual payroll$30.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents50.9
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.
Daniels County
Building permits in Daniels County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241
- Declared construction value permitted$416,234
- Single family units authorized1
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$416,234
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.4
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.
Daniels County
SBA loans in Daniels County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$384,000
- Median 7(a) approval$535,500
- Largest single approval$535,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)10
- Jobs per approval3.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term120 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 shorter3
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals33.3 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Daniels County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Daniels County
Do SBA loans in Daniels County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
- 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.
Daniels County
SBA lending by place in Daniels County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Scobey, approvals2
- Whitetail, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Scobey | 2 | $1,071,000 |
| Whitetail | 1 | $81,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Daniels County
How large is Daniels County?
- Land area1,426 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties48th of 56
- Width, east to west53.6 mi
- Height, north to south30.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land1
- Establishments per square mile0.05
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.
Daniels County
Flood risk in Daniels County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book1
- Of those, participating in the NFIP0
- NFIP participation rate0.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Daniels County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Daniels 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. 0.0 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 Daniels 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 Daniels County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20241,494
- Households734
- Average household size2.04
- Median household income$55,625
- Median age53.4
Common questions
Daniels County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Daniels County, Montana?
The Census Bureau estimates 1,625 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 1,494, in 734 households, ranking 49th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Daniels County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.87 percent since the 2020 census base of 1,656, to 1,625 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 8 births against 22 deaths, with net migration of 14. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Daniels County?
$55,625. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $184,800, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $581 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Daniels County?
76 establishments, employing 572 people with an annual payroll of $30.9 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 Daniels County?
Wholesale trade is the largest private sector at 63 jobs, 11.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 559 jobs at an average annual pay of $49,725, or $956 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Daniels County?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $1.2 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $535,500. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Daniels County?
1 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $416,234. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Daniels 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.
Are traffic counts available for Daniels 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 Daniels 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.
Daniels County
Cities and places in Daniels.
4 Census places lie wholly or partly in Daniels County. All 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scobey | city | 861 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Flaxville | town | 77 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Whitetail | CDP | 23 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Peerless | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby