Dawson County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Dawson County, Montana had an estimated 8,731 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,942, across 2,372 square miles. County output reached $515.1 m in 2024, 295 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 7 7(a) approvals worth $9.4 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Dawson County
How many people live in Dawson County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,827
- Households3,615
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$71,334
- Median age43.0
- Median gross rent$815 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$185,300
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,161
- Population under 181,885
- Share under 1821.4 percent
- Population 65 and over1,868
- Share 65 and over21.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,074
- Civilian labor force4,470
- Unemployment rate2.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.4 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties26th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2579th of 3,222
Dawson County is the 26th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.4 percent against 21.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Dawson County
Is Dawson County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20248,731
- Census 2020 base population8,942
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.36 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-89
- Births, 202473
- Deaths, 202486
- Natural change, 2024-13
- Net domestic migration, 2024-78
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 2024-77
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-46
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2581st of 3,144
The county has lost 2.36 percent of its population 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.
Dawson County
Where are people moving to Dawson County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving193
- People arriving, from those returns324
- Tax returns filed by households leaving224
- Net household movement-31
- Adjusted gross income arriving$8.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-3.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$44,777
- Average income of a leaving household$53,786
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|
Households arriving report $9,009 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Dawson County
What is the Dawson County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$515.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$506.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.6 percent
- GDP change over five years22.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Montana areas BEA publishes25th of 56
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2389th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$58,358
Output grew 1.6 percent in the latest year and 22.6 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.
Dawson County
Employment by industry in Dawson County
- Covered employment, annual average3,382
- Establishments reporting407
- Average annual pay$50,128
- Average weekly wage$964
- Retail trade, employment544
- Retail trade, average annual pay$36,592
- Accommodation and food services, employment363
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$20,654
- Transportation and warehousing, employment240
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$92,459
- Other services, except public administration, employment108
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$28,687
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment90
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, employment88
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 544 | 45 | $36,592 |
| Accommodation and food services | 363 | 31 | $20,654 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 240 | 20 | $92,459 |
| Other services, except public administration | 108 | 27 | $28,687 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 90 | 10 | $20,955 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 88 | 26 | $99,116 |
| Construction | 77 | 32 | $49,129 |
| Finance and insurance | 76 | 22 | $62,202 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 544 jobs, 16.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Dawson County
How many businesses are in Dawson County?
- Establishments, all industries295
- Employment at those establishments2,404
- Annual payroll$140.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents33.4
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.
Dawson County
Building permits in Dawson 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.
Dawson County
SBA loans in Dawson County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,339,357
- Median 7(a) approval$686,000
- Largest single approval$3,335,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)89
- Jobs per approval12.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer42.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals14.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.2 m
- Average 504 approval$745,667
- Median 504 approval$615,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval5.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.2
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$11.6 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.
Dawson County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Dawson County
Do SBA loans in Dawson County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Paid in full2
Only 2 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.
Dawson County
How large is Dawson County?
- Land area2,372 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties28th of 56
- Width, east to west51.7 mi
- Height, north to south64.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land4
- 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.
Dawson County
Flood risk in Dawson County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Dawson County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 300140
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Dawson 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 Dawson County (community 300140), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Dawson 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 Dawson 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 Dawson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,827
- Households3,615
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$71,334
- Median age43.0
Common questions
Dawson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Dawson County, Montana?
The Census Bureau estimates 8,731 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 8,827, in 3,615 households, ranking 26th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Dawson County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.36 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,942, to 8,731 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 73 births against 86 deaths, with net migration of -77. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Dawson County?
$71,334. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $185,300, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $815 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Dawson County?
295 establishments, employing 2,404 people with an annual payroll of $140.0 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 Dawson County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 544 jobs, 16.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 3,382 jobs at an average annual pay of $50,128, or $964 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Dawson County?
7 7(a) approvals totaling $9.4 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $686,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $2.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Dawson 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 Dawson 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 Dawson 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 Dawson 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.
Dawson County
Cities and places in Dawson.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Dawson County. All 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glendive | city | 4,810 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| West Glendive | CDP | 2,121 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Richey | town | 238 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bloomfield | CDP | 9 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lindsay | CDP | 9 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby