Pondera County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Pondera County, Montana had an estimated 6,078 residents on July 1, 2024, up 3.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,902, across 1,623 square miles. County output reached $302.1 m in 2024, 182 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $515,000 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Pondera County
How many people live in Pondera County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20246,035
- Households2,268
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$52,338
- Median age42.0
- Median gross rent$784 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$206,100
- Home value to household income3.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,157
- Population under 181,434
- Share under 1823.8 percent
- Population 65 and over1,319
- Share 65 and over21.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,282
- Civilian labor force2,781
- Unemployment rate5.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.4 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties33rd of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2808th of 3,222
Pondera County is the 33rd largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 3.9 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.8 percent against 21.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Pondera County
Is Pondera County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20246,078
- Census 2020 base population5,902
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.98 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-30
- Births, 202489
- Deaths, 202493
- Natural change, 2024-4
- Net domestic migration, 2024-29
- Net international migration, 20243
- Total net migration, 2024-26
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024185
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents873rd of 3,144
The county has grown 2.98 percent 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.
Pondera County
Where are people moving to Pondera County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving116
- People arriving, from those returns220
- Tax returns filed by households leaving125
- Net household movement-9
- Adjusted gross income arriving$5.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$45,000
- Average income of an arriving household$50,767
- Average income of a leaving household$46,752
- Largest single destinationCascade County (21 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|
Households arriving report $4,015 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Pondera County
What is the Pondera County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$302.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$382.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-20.9 percent
- GDP change over five years13.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Montana areas BEA publishes35th of 56
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2696th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$50,054
Output grew -20.9 percent in the latest year and 13.4 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.
Pondera County
Employment by industry in Pondera County
- Covered employment, annual average1,562
- Establishments reporting236
- Average annual pay$45,334
- Average weekly wage$872
- Retail trade, employment213
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,268
- Construction, employment134
- Construction, average annual pay$54,222
- Accommodation and food services, employment128
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$12,211
- Wholesale trade, employment127
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$69,594
- Finance and insurance, employment71
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment43
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 213 | 22 | $35,268 |
| Construction | 134 | 29 | $54,222 |
| Accommodation and food services | 128 | 15 | $12,211 |
| Wholesale trade | 127 | 13 | $69,594 |
| Finance and insurance | 71 | 15 | $64,039 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 43 | 10 | $49,882 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 42 | 11 | $46,168 |
| Other services, except public administration | 38 | 20 | $21,069 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 213 jobs, 13.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Pondera County
How many businesses are in Pondera County?
- Establishments, all industries182
- Employment at those establishments1,103
- Annual payroll$44.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents30.2
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.
Pondera County
Building permits in Pondera 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.
Pondera County
SBA loans in Pondera County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$515,000
- Average 7(a) approval$128,750
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- Largest single approval$300,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)14
- Jobs per approval3.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- 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 shorter4
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$786,000
- Average 504 approval$786,000
- Median 504 approval$786,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval0.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved0.0
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$1.3 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.
Pondera County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Pondera County
Do SBA loans in Pondera County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 1 loan has 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.
Pondera County
SBA lending by place in Pondera County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Valier, approvals2
- Conrad, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Valier | 2 | $315,000 |
| Conrad | 2 | $200,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Pondera County
How large is Pondera County?
- Land area1,623 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties44th of 56
- Width, east to west89.4 mi
- Height, north to south34.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land4
- Establishments per square mile0.11
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.
Pondera County
Flood risk in Pondera County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Pondera County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 300056
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Pondera 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 Pondera County (community 300056), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Pondera 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 Pondera 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 Pondera County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20246,035
- Households2,268
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$52,338
- Median age42.0
Common questions
Pondera County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Pondera County, Montana?
The Census Bureau estimates 6,078 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 6,035, in 2,268 households, ranking 33rd of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Pondera County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.98 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,902, to 6,078 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 89 births against 93 deaths, with net migration of -26. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Pondera County?
$52,338. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $206,100, which is 3.9 times income, and median gross rent is $784 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Pondera County?
182 establishments, employing 1,103 people with an annual payroll of $44.1 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 Pondera County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 213 jobs, 13.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,562 jobs at an average annual pay of $45,334, or $872 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Pondera County?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $515,000 since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $786,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Pondera 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 Pondera 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 Pondera 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 Pondera 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.
Pondera County
Cities and places in Pondera.
10 Census places lie wholly or partly in Pondera County. All 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conrad | city | 2,618 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Valier | town | 573 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Heart Butte | CDP | 521 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| New Miami Colony | CDP | 330 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dupuyer | CDP | 127 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Birch Creek Colony | CDP | 121 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Brady | CDP | 101 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pondera Colony | CDP | 42 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Midway Colony | CDP | 26 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kingsbury Colony | CDP | 5 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby