Flathead County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Flathead County, Montana has a population of 110,695 across 5,088 square miles, up 9.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $7.21 bn in 2024, 5,092 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 204 7(a) approvals worth $109.3 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
Flathead County
How many people live in Flathead County
- Population110,695
- Households44,233
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$73,925
- Median age42.2
- Median gross rent$1,142 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$535,500
- Home value to household income7.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher37.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over79,424
- Population under 1823,948
- Share under 1821.6 percent
- Population 65 and over23,352
- Share 65 and over21.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6463,395
- Civilian labor force55,909
- Unemployment rate2.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.5 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties4th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents570th
Flathead County is the 4th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 7.2 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.6 percent against 21.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Flathead County
Is Flathead County's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base9.75 percent
- Census 2020 base population104,355
- Births, 20241,234
- Deaths, 20241,057
- Natural change, 2024177
- Net domestic migration, 2024837
- Net international migration, 202420
- Total net migration, 2024857
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20249,317
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents155th
The county has grown 9.75 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Flathead County
Where are people moving to Flathead County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,785
- People arriving, from those returns6,733
- Adjusted gross income arriving$475.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$125,638
- Largest single originFlathead County Non-migrants (44,023 households)
- Largest single destination (44,023 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flathead County Non-migrants | 44,023 | 87,620 | $4.46 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,909 | 3,455 | $224.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 911 | 1,699 | $102.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 457 | 842 | $52.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 371 | 637 | $52.8 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 170 | 277 | $17.1 m |
| Missoula County | 158 | 219 | $12.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 157 | 276 | $17.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Flathead County Non-migrants, 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.
Flathead County
What is the Flathead County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$7.21 bn
- County GDP, 2023$6.71 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.5 percent
- GDP change over five years52.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties4th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents570th
- GDP per resident$65,135
Output grew 7.5 percent in the latest year and 52.7 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.
Flathead County
Largest employers in Flathead County
- Covered employment, annual average50,611
- Establishments reporting6,994
- Average annual pay$58,339
- Average weekly wage$1,122
- Sector 62, employment7,842
- Sector 62, average annual pay$72,253
- Sector 44-45, employment7,323
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$44,356
- Sector 72, employment6,970
- Sector 72, average annual pay$28,528
- Sector 23, employment4,793
- Sector 23, average annual pay$64,714
- Sector 31-33, employment3,288
- Sector 54, employment2,629
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 7,842 | 588 | $72,253 |
| Sector 44-45 | 7,323 | 538 | $44,356 |
| Sector 72 | 6,970 | 440 | $28,528 |
| Sector 23 | 4,793 | 1,179 | $64,714 |
| Sector 31-33 | 3,288 | 266 | $73,035 |
| Sector 54 | 2,629 | 1,173 | $97,227 |
| Sector 56 | 2,296 | 472 | $54,872 |
| Sector 81 | 1,883 | 480 | $43,537 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 7,842 jobs, 15.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Flathead County
How many businesses are in Flathead County?
- Establishments, all industries5,092
- Employment at those establishments45,165
- Annual payroll$2.33 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents46.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Flathead County
Building permits in Flathead County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024286
- Declared construction value permitted$106.0 m
- Single family units authorised198
- Multifamily units authorised88
- Multifamily share of units30.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$370,647
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.5
Multifamily is 30.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Flathead County
SBA loans in Flathead County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded204
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$109.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$535,589
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,296,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,068
- Jobs per approval10.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active39
- Distinct industries receiving approvals103
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms33
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter164
- Franchise loans24
- Franchise share of approvals11.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countPlumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (8)
- Most active lenderThree Rivers Bank of Montana (43)
- 504 approvals recorded56
- 504 gross approval dollars$28.7 m
- Average 504 approval$511,857
- Median 504 approval$342,000
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval5.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.2
- Most active CDCBig Sky Economic Development Corporation (29)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals78.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$137.9 m
The average approval of $535,589 sits well above the median of $150,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 16.2 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Flathead County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Flathead County
Do SBA loans in Flathead County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded66
- Paid in full62
- Charged off4
- Charge off rate on resolved loans6.1 percent
- Status: Paid in full62
- Status: Cancelled16
- Status: Exempt from disclosure114
- Status: Charged off4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed8
Of the 66 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
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.
Flathead County
SBA lending by place in Flathead County
- Places in the county with recorded lending13
- Kalispell, approvals125
- WHITEFISH, approvals27
- Columbia Falls, approvals26
- Bigfork, approvals14
- ROLLINS, approvals2
- MARION, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Kalispell | 125 | $55,588,300 |
| WHITEFISH | 27 | $26,461,900 |
| Columbia Falls | 26 | $11,690,100 |
| Bigfork | 14 | $8,963,800 |
| ROLLINS | 2 | $300,000 |
| MARION | 2 | $182,000 |
| Somers | 2 | $990,000 |
| WEST GLACIER | 1 | $721,300 |
Kalispell accounts for 125 approvals against 27 in WHITEFISH. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Flathead County
How large is Flathead County?
- Land area5,088 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties3rd of 56
- Width, east to west98.5 mi
- Height, north to south97 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary9
- Residents per square mile of land22
- Establishments per square mile1.00
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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Flathead 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 Flathead County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population110,695
- Households44,233
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$73,925
- Median age42.2
Common questions
Flathead County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Flathead County, Montana?
110,695, in 44,233 households, ranking 4th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Flathead County's population growing?
The population has grown 9.75 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,234 births against 1,057 deaths, with net migration of 857. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Flathead County?
$73,925. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $535,500, which is 7.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,142 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Flathead County?
5,092 establishments, employing 45,165 people with an annual payroll of $2.33 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Flathead County?
Average annual pay is $58,339, or $1,122 a week, across 50,611 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Flathead County?
204 7(a) approvals totalling $109.3 m since FY2020, across 39 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 56 504 approvals worth $28.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Flathead County get paid back?
Of the 66 loans that have reached a final outcome, 62 were paid in full and 4 charged off, a charge off rate of 6.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Flathead County?
286 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $106.0 m. Multifamily was 30.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Flathead 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 Flathead County come from?
The largest single origin is Flathead County Non-migrants, with 44,023 households. Arriving households report an average income of $125,638 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Flathead 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 Flathead County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.
Flathead County
Cities and places in Flathead.
24 Census places lie wholly or partly in Flathead County. 24 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 approvals | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalispell | city | 28,504 | 125 | Wholly in this county |
| Evergreen | CDP | 9,611 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Whitefish | city | 8,749 | 29 | Wholly in this county |
| Columbia Falls | city | 5,615 | 26 | Wholly in this county |
| Bigfork | CDP | 5,565 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Lakeside | CDP | 2,386 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Somers | CDP | 1,280 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Marion | CDP | 1,037 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Helena Flats | CDP | 857 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Batavia | CDP | 690 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hungry Horse | CDP | 679 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Coram | CDP | 452 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kila | CDP | 373 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Martin City | CDP | 342 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Forest Hill Village | CDP | 315 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West Glacier | CDP | 263 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Olney | CDP | 158 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Little Bitterroot Lake | CDP | 156 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rhodes | CDP | 110 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Essex | CDP | 82 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Niarada | CDP | 79 | None recorded | 78.1 percent here, 20.8 percent Sanders County |
| Snowslip | CDP | 71 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pinnacle | CDP | 48 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Polebridge | CDP | 14 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
A further 2 SBA approvals in Flathead County are recorded against borrower cities that match no Census place, the largest being Kallispell, Priest River. Those are postal cities and unincorporated areas rather than incorporated places, so no page claims them, and their lending is counted in this county's totals above rather than under any city.