Richland County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Richland County, Montana had an estimated 11,028 residents on July 1, 2024, down 4.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 11,493, across 2,084 square miles. County output reached $1.19 bn in 2024, 498 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 12 7(a) approvals worth $3.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Richland County
How many people live in Richland County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202411,235
- Households4,422
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$73,084
- Median age38.4
- Median gross rent$917 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$263,000
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,532
- Population under 182,802
- Share under 1824.9 percent
- Population 65 and over1,963
- Share 65 and over17.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,470
- Civilian labor force6,061
- Unemployment rate3.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.9 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties19th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2404th of 3,222
Richland County is the 19th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.9 percent against 17.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Richland County
Is Richland County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202411,028
- Census 2020 base population11,493
- Population change since the 2020 census base-4.05 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-66
- Births, 2024116
- Deaths, 2024112
- Natural change, 20244
- Net domestic migration, 2024-89
- Net international migration, 202417
- Total net migration, 2024-72
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-614
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2901st of 3,144
The county has lost 4.05 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. More people left than moved in during 2024 and births over deaths did not make up the difference, so the population fell.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Richland County
Where are people moving to Richland County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving270
- People arriving, from those returns492
- Tax returns filed by households leaving323
- Net household movement-53
- Adjusted gross income arriving$16.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-5.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$59,193
- Average income of a leaving household$66,944
- Largest single originYellowstone County (22 households)
- Largest single destinationWilliams County (35 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone County | 22 | 38 | $1.1 m |
Households arriving report $7,751 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Yellowstone 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.
Richland County
What is the Richland County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.19 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.11 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.2 percent
- GDP change over five years57.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Montana areas BEA publishes11th of 56
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1702nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$105,727
Output grew 7.2 percent in the latest year and 57.4 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.
Richland County
Employment by industry in Richland County
- Covered employment, annual average5,235
- Establishments reporting648
- Average annual pay$63,143
- Average weekly wage$1,214
- Retail trade, employment603
- Retail trade, average annual pay$39,749
- Construction, employment559
- Construction, average annual pay$71,874
- Accommodation and food services, employment483
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,070
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, employment436
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, average annual pay$105,105
- Transportation and warehousing, employment332
- Wholesale trade, employment273
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 603 | 57 | $39,749 |
| Construction | 559 | 74 | $71,874 |
| Accommodation and food services | 483 | 40 | $21,070 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 436 | 65 | $105,105 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 332 | 46 | $108,789 |
| Wholesale trade | 273 | 32 | $94,062 |
| Manufacturing | 220 | 19 | $48,067 |
| Other services, except public administration | 152 | 51 | $43,545 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 603 jobs, 11.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Richland County
How many businesses are in Richland County?
- Establishments, all industries498
- Employment at those establishments4,321
- Annual payroll$255.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents44.3
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.
Richland County
Building permits in Richland 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.
Richland County
SBA loans in Richland County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded12
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$261,075
- Median 7(a) approval$99,550
- Largest single approval$686,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)74
- Jobs per approval6.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term61 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 shorter12
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (3)
- Most active lenderStockman Bank of Montana (4)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.3 m
- Average 504 approval$661,500
- Median 504 approval$375,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval10.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.5
- Most active CDCBig Sky Economic Development Corporation (5)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$8.4 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.
Richland County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Richland County
Do SBA loans in Richland County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
- Status: Cancelled1
Only 5 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.
Richland County
SBA lending by place in Richland County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Sidney, approvals10
- Fairview, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Sidney | 10 | $1,797,900 |
| Fairview | 2 | $1,335,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Richland County
How large is Richland County?
- Land area2,084 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties32nd of 56
- Width, east to west55.4 mi
- Height, north to south55 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land5
- Establishments per square mile0.24
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.
Richland County
Flood risk in Richland County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Richland County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 300165
- 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 Richland 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 Richland County (community 300165), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Richland 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 Richland 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 Richland County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202411,235
- Households4,422
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$73,084
- Median age38.4
Common questions
Richland County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Richland County, Montana?
The Census Bureau estimates 11,028 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 11,235, in 4,422 households, ranking 19th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Richland County's population growing?
The population has fallen 4.05 percent since the 2020 census base of 11,493, to 11,028 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 116 births against 112 deaths, with net migration of -72. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Richland County?
$73,084. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $263,000, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $917 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Richland County?
498 establishments, employing 4,321 people with an annual payroll of $255.3 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 Richland County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 603 jobs, 11.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 5,235 jobs at an average annual pay of $63,143, or $1,214 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Richland County?
12 7(a) approvals totaling $3.1 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $99,550, plus 8 504 approvals worth $5.3 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Richland 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 Richland 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 Richland County come from?
The largest single origin is Yellowstone County, with 22 households. Arriving households report an average income of $59,193 against $66,944 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Richland 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 Richland 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.
Richland County
Cities and places in Richland.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Richland County. All 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney | city | 6,171 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Fairview | town | 971 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Savage | CDP | 316 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Crane | CDP | 187 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fox Lake | CDP | 149 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby