Powell County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Powell County, Montana had an estimated 7,120 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 6,941, across 2,326 square miles. County output reached $356.5 m in 2024, 176 establishments operate here.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Powell County
How many people live in Powell County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20247,053
- Households2,432
- Average household size2.90
- Median household income$66,923
- Median age45.8
- Median gross rent$820 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$306,500
- Home value to household income4.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over5,651
- Population under 18935
- Share under 1813.3 percent
- Population 65 and over1,472
- Share 65 and over20.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,646
- Civilian labor force2,598
- Unemployment rate2.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over42.5 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties30th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2732nd of 3,222
Powell County is the 30th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 4.6 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 20.9 percent against 13.3 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.
Powell County
Is Powell County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20247,120
- Census 2020 base population6,941
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.58 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-2
- Births, 202447
- Deaths, 202496
- Natural change, 2024-49
- Net domestic migration, 202445
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 202446
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024357
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents986th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.58 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Powell County
Where are people moving to Powell County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving218
- People arriving, from those returns348
- Tax returns filed by households leaving198
- Net household movement20
- Adjusted gross income arriving$13.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$6.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$61,188
- Average income of a leaving household$35,672
- Largest single originDeer Lodge County (22 households)
- Largest single destinationLewis and Clark County (32 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Lodge County | 22 | 30 | $1.6 m |
Households arriving report $25,516 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 Deer Lodge 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.
Powell County
What is the Powell County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$356.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$331.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.6 percent
- GDP change over five years53.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Montana areas BEA publishes31st of 56
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2613th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$50,545
Output grew 7.6 percent in the latest year and 53.6 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.
Powell County
Employment by industry in Powell County
- Covered employment, annual average2,468
- Establishments reporting250
- Average annual pay$58,435
- Average weekly wage$1,124
- Accommodation and food services, employment220
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$17,992
- Retail trade, employment173
- Retail trade, average annual pay$36,563
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment159
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, average annual pay$43,506
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment125
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$54,862
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment49
- Finance and insurance, employment36
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 220 | 30 | $17,992 |
| Retail trade | 173 | 13 | $36,563 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 159 | 11 | $43,506 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 125 | 20 | $54,862 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 49 | 20 | $254,052 |
| Finance and insurance | 36 | 11 | $60,964 |
| Wholesale trade | 28 | 8 | $55,519 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 14 | 10 | $90,139 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 220 jobs, 8.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Powell County
How many businesses are in Powell County?
- Establishments, all industries176
- Employment at those establishments1,451
- Annual payroll$91.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.0
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.
Powell County
Building permits in Powell County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202477
- Declared construction value permitted$25.7 m
- Single family units authorized50
- Multifamily units authorized27
- Multifamily share of units35.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$333,763
- Units authorized per 1,000 households31.7
Single-family homes are 64.9 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Powell County
SBA loans in Powell County (7(a) and 504)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$323,000
- Average 504 approval$323,000
- Median 504 approval$323,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval4.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.4
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Powell County
How large is Powell County?
- Land area2,326 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties30th of 56
- Width, east to west55.2 mi
- Height, north to south92.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land3
- Establishments per square mile0.08
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.
Powell County
Flood risk in Powell County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Powell County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 300059
- 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 Powell 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 Powell County (community 300059), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Powell 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 Powell 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 Powell County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20247,053
- Households2,432
- Average household size2.90
- Median household income$66,923
- Median age45.8
Common questions
Powell County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Powell County, Montana?
The Census Bureau estimates 7,120 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 7,053, in 2,432 households, ranking 30th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Powell County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.58 percent since the 2020 census base of 6,941, to 7,120 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 47 births against 96 deaths, with net migration of 46. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Powell County?
$66,923. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $306,500, which is 4.6 times income, and median gross rent is $820 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Powell County?
176 establishments, employing 1,451 people with an annual payroll of $91.0 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 Powell County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 220 jobs, 8.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,468 jobs at an average annual pay of $58,435, or $1,124 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How many building permits were issued in Powell County?
77 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $25.7 m. Multifamily was 35.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Powell 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 Powell County come from?
The largest single origin is Deer Lodge County, with 22 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,188 against $35,672 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Powell 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 Powell 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.
Powell County
Cities and places in Powell.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Powell County. 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Lodge | city | 3,021 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elliston | CDP | 182 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Avon | CDP | 173 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Garrison | CDP | 106 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Helmville | CDP | 55 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ovando | CDP | 49 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Goldcreek | CDP | 3 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Racetrack | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |