Missoula County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Missoula County, Montana had an estimated 122,546 residents on July 1, 2024, up 3.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 117,928, across 2,593 square miles. County output reached $9.09 bn in 2024, 4,816 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 115 7(a) approvals worth $49.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Missoula County
How many people live in Missoula County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024120,672
- Households52,679
- Average household size2.29
- Median household income$75,598
- Median age37.1
- Median gross rent$1,190 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$472,100
- Home value to household income6.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher47.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree18.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over83,214
- Population under 1821,937
- Share under 1818.2 percent
- Population 65 and over20,683
- Share 65 and over17.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6478,052
- Civilian labor force70,663
- Unemployment rate3.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.6 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties3rd of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included534th of 3,222
Missoula County is the 3rd largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 6.2 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 18.2 percent against 17.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Missoula County
Is Missoula County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024122,546
- Census 2020 base population117,928
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.92 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024874
- Births, 20241,133
- Deaths, 2024985
- Natural change, 2024148
- Net domestic migration, 2024625
- Net international migration, 202494
- Total net migration, 2024719
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20243,441
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents703rd of 3,144
The county has grown 3.92 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Missoula County
Where are people moving to Missoula County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,995
- People arriving, from those returns6,023
- Tax returns filed by households leaving3,814
- Net household movement181
- Adjusted gross income arriving$289.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$51.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$72,436
- Average income of a leaving household$62,421
- Largest single originRavalli County (258 households)
- Largest single destinationRavalli County (359 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ravalli County | 258 | 445 | $15.7 m |
| Gallatin County | 153 | 188 | $7.9 m |
| Flathead County | 135 | 189 | $5.5 m |
| Lewis and Clark County | 118 | 165 | $6.3 m |
| Lake County | 115 | 195 | $6.6 m |
| Yellowstone County | 107 | 147 | $8.7 m |
| Cascade County | 92 | 130 | $4.8 m |
| King County | 92 | 147 | $11.4 m |
Households arriving report $10,015 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 Ravalli 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.
Missoula County
What is the Missoula County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$9.09 bn
- County GDP, 2023$8.51 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.8 percent
- GDP change over five years47.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Montana areas BEA publishes3rd of 56
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes481st of 3,127
- GDP per resident$75,298
Output grew 6.8 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.
Missoula County
Employment by industry in Missoula County
- Covered employment, annual average65,649
- Establishments reporting6,882
- Average annual pay$59,583
- Average weekly wage$1,146
- Health care and social assistance, employment11,091
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$65,437
- Retail trade, employment8,821
- Retail trade, average annual pay$42,478
- Accommodation and food services, employment7,206
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$27,545
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment4,750
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$95,980
- Construction, employment4,097
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment2,793
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 11,091 | 724 | $65,437 |
| Retail trade | 8,821 | 528 | $42,478 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,206 | 381 | $27,545 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 4,750 | 1,394 | $95,980 |
| Construction | 4,097 | 672 | $71,228 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 2,793 | 451 | $50,637 |
| Other services, except public administration | 2,637 | 637 | $43,546 |
| Manufacturing | 2,519 | 208 | $53,690 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 11,091 jobs, 16.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Missoula County
How many businesses are in Missoula County?
- Establishments, all industries4,816
- Employment at those establishments54,136
- Annual payroll$2.74 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents39.9
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.
Missoula County
Building permits in Missoula County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024773
- Declared construction value permitted$179.8 m
- Single family units authorized380
- Multifamily units authorized393
- Multifamily share of units50.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$232,570
- Units authorized per 1,000 households14.7
Multifamily is 50.8 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Missoula County
SBA loans in Missoula County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded115
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$49.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$433,407
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,067,200
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,306
- Jobs per approval11.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active36
- Distinct industries receiving approvals69
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms12
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter94
- Franchise loans17
- Franchise share of approvals14.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (7)
- Most active lenderGlacier Bank (19)
- 504 approvals recorded62
- 504 gross approval dollars$42.7 m
- Average 504 approval$688,468
- Median 504 approval$360,500
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval9.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.1
- Most active CDCBig Sky Economic Development Corporation (28)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$92.5 m
The average approval of $433,407 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 10.4 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.
Missoula County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Missoula County
Do SBA loans in Missoula County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded20
- Paid in full18
- Charged off2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure77
- Status: Paid in full18
- Status: Cancelled14
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Only 20 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.
Missoula County
SBA lending by place in Missoula County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending7
- Missoula, approvals103
- Frenchtown, approvals3
- Huson, approvals3
- Lolo, approvals3
- Clinton, approvals1
- Florence, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Missoula | 103 | $45,963,100 |
| Frenchtown | 3 | $2,500,000 |
| Huson | 3 | $775,200 |
| Lolo | 3 | $262,000 |
| Clinton | 1 | $150,000 |
| Florence | 1 | $141,500 |
| Arlee | 1 | $50,000 |
Missoula accounts for 103 approvals against 3 in Frenchtown. 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.
Missoula County
How large is Missoula County?
- Land area2,593 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties25th of 56
- Width, east to west70.5 mi
- Height, north to south66.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary9
- Residents per square mile of land47
- Establishments per square mile1.86
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.
Missoula County
Flood risk in Missoula County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Missoula County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 300048
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 7
- 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 class2
- Radon levels in Missoula 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 Missoula County (community 300048), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 7, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Missoula 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 Missoula 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 Missoula County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024120,672
- Households52,679
- Average household size2.29
- Median household income$75,598
- Median age37.1
Common questions
Missoula County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Missoula County, Montana?
The Census Bureau estimates 122,546 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 120,672, in 52,679 households, ranking 3rd of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Missoula County's population growing?
The population has grown 3.92 percent since the 2020 census base of 117,928, to 122,546 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,133 births against 985 deaths, with net migration of 719. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Missoula County?
$75,598. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $472,100, which is 6.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,190 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Missoula County?
4,816 establishments, employing 54,136 people with an annual payroll of $2.74 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Missoula County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 11,091 jobs, 16.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 65,649 jobs at an average annual pay of $59,583, or $1,146 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Missoula County?
115 7(a) approvals totaling $49.8 m since FY2020, across 36 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 62 504 approvals worth $42.7 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Missoula County?
773 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $179.8 m. Multifamily was 50.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Missoula 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 Missoula County come from?
The largest single origin is Ravalli County, with 258 households. Arriving households report an average income of $72,436 against $62,421 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Missoula 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 Missoula 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.
Missoula County
Cities and places in Missoula.
17 Census places lie wholly or partly in Missoula County. 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missoula | city | 76,514 | 103 | Wholly in this county |
| Orchard Homes | CDP | 5,588 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lolo | CDP | 4,314 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| East Missoula | CDP | 2,099 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Frenchtown | CDP | 1,927 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Bonner-West Riverside | CDP | 1,563 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Seeley Lake | CDP | 1,496 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wye | CDP | 1,055 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clinton | CDP | 1,040 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Carlton | CDP | 682 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Turah | CDP | 543 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Evaro | CDP | 466 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Piltzville | CDP | 383 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Twin Creeks | CDP | 361 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Condon | CDP | 320 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Huson | CDP | 136 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Potomac | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 2 of the county's 115 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Missoula County, the largest being Florence (1), Arlee (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.