Fergus County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Fergus County, Montana had an estimated 11,862 residents on July 1, 2024, up 3.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 11,442, across 4,340 square miles. County output reached $776.7 m in 2024, 444 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 7 7(a) approvals worth $1.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Fergus County
How many people live in Fergus County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202411,687
- Households5,303
- Average household size2.20
- Median household income$63,706
- Median age44.4
- Median gross rent$954 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$236,100
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over8,486
- Population under 182,456
- Share under 1821.0 percent
- Population 65 and over2,931
- Share 65 and over25.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,300
- Civilian labor force6,108
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.2 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties18th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2375th of 3,222
Fergus County is the 18th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.1 percent against 21.0 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.
Fergus County
Is Fergus County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202411,862
- Census 2020 base population11,442
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.67 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202446
- Births, 2024132
- Deaths, 2024132
- Natural change, 20240
- Net domestic migration, 202426
- Net international migration, 202421
- Total net migration, 202447
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024510
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents750th of 3,144
The county has grown 3.67 percent since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Fergus County
Where are people moving to Fergus County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving339
- People arriving, from those returns635
- Tax returns filed by households leaving258
- Net household movement81
- Adjusted gross income arriving$21.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$8.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$64,537
- Average income of a leaving household$51,791
- Largest single originGallatin County (41 households)
- Largest single destinationYellowstone County (30 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallatin County | 41 | 68 | $2.4 m |
| Yellowstone County | 38 | 59 | $1.8 m |
| Cascade County | 21 | 31 | $916,000 |
Households arriving report $12,746 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 Gallatin 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.
Fergus County
What is the Fergus County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$776.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$683.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202413.6 percent
- GDP change over five years47.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Montana areas BEA publishes16th of 56
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2047th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$66,462
Output grew 13.6 percent in the latest year and 47.5 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.
Fergus County
Employment by industry in Fergus County
- Covered employment, annual average4,664
- Establishments reporting580
- Average annual pay$48,764
- Average weekly wage$938
- Health care and social assistance, employment768
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$54,121
- Retail trade, employment533
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,652
- Accommodation and food services, employment477
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,670
- Manufacturing, employment440
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$58,753
- Construction, employment402
- Wholesale trade, employment242
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 768 | 55 | $54,121 |
| Retail trade | 533 | 47 | $34,652 |
| Accommodation and food services | 477 | 37 | $19,670 |
| Manufacturing | 440 | 27 | $58,753 |
| Construction | 402 | 80 | $67,996 |
| Wholesale trade | 242 | 32 | $55,944 |
| Finance and insurance | 156 | 34 | $72,599 |
| Other services, except public administration | 135 | 48 | $23,668 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 768 jobs, 16.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Fergus County
How many businesses are in Fergus County?
- Establishments, all industries444
- Employment at those establishments3,428
- Annual payroll$162.7 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.
Fergus County
Building permits in Fergus 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.
Fergus County
SBA loans in Fergus County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$226,829
- Median 7(a) approval$160,000
- Largest single approval$486,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)44
- Jobs per approval6.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- 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 loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.0 m
- Average 504 approval$505,500
- Median 504 approval$223,500
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval15.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved29.7
- Most active CDCDakota Business Lending (7)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$5.6 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.
Fergus County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Fergus County
Do SBA loans in Fergus County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
- Status: Paid in full3
Only 3 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.
Fergus County
SBA lending by place in Fergus County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Lewistown, approvals6
- Denton, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Lewistown | 6 | $1,475,300 |
| Denton | 1 | $112,500 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Fergus County
How large is Fergus County?
- Land area4,340 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties8th of 56
- Width, east to west89.2 mi
- Height, north to south75.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land3
- Establishments per square mile0.10
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.
Fergus County
Flood risk in Fergus County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Fergus County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 300019
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate80.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Fergus 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 Fergus County (community 300019), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Fergus 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. 80.0 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 Fergus 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 Fergus County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202411,687
- Households5,303
- Average household size2.20
- Median household income$63,706
- Median age44.4
Common questions
Fergus County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Fergus County, Montana?
The Census Bureau estimates 11,862 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 11,687, in 5,303 households, ranking 18th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Fergus County's population growing?
The population has grown 3.67 percent since the 2020 census base of 11,442, to 11,862 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 132 births against 132 deaths, with net migration of 47. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Fergus County?
$63,706. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $236,100, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $954 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Fergus County?
444 establishments, employing 3,428 people with an annual payroll of $162.7 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 Fergus County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 768 jobs, 16.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,664 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,764, or $938 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Fergus County?
7 7(a) approvals totaling $1.6 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $160,000, plus 8 504 approvals worth $4.0 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Fergus 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 Fergus 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 Fergus County come from?
The largest single origin is Gallatin County, with 41 households. Arriving households report an average income of $64,537 against $51,791 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Fergus 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 Fergus 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.
Fergus County
Cities and places in Fergus.
17 Census places lie wholly or partly in Fergus County. 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewistown | city | 6,087 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Lewistown Heights | CDP | 488 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Winifred | town | 263 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Moore | town | 224 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Denton | town | 193 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Roy | CDP | 129 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Grass Range | town | 125 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Coffee Creek | CDP | 61 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Warm Spring Creek | CDP | 46 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| King Ranch Colony | CDP | 38 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Deerfield Colony | CDP | 34 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Spring Creek Colony | CDP | 27 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ayers Ranch Colony | CDP | 8 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Danvers | CDP | 6 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Brooks | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fords Creek Colony | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hilger | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |