Stillwater County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Stillwater County, Montana had an estimated 9,450 residents on July 1, 2024, up 5.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,963, across 1,795 square miles. County output reached $725.1 m in 2024, 263 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 12 7(a) approvals worth $3.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Stillwater County
How many people live in Stillwater County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,182
- Households3,810
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$84,732
- Median age46.7
- Median gross rent$961 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$405,800
- Home value to household income4.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher32.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,675
- Population under 181,925
- Share under 1821.0 percent
- Population 65 and over2,314
- Share 65 and over25.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,943
- Civilian labor force4,622
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.7 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties25th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2551st of 3,222
Stillwater County is the 25th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 4.8 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.2 percent against 21.0 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.
Stillwater County
Is Stillwater County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20249,450
- Census 2020 base population8,963
- Population change since the 2020 census base5.43 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024213
- Births, 202491
- Deaths, 202478
- Natural change, 202413
- Net domestic migration, 2024204
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 2024203
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024500
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents480th of 3,144
The county has grown 5.43 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.
Stillwater County
Where are people moving to Stillwater County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving376
- People arriving, from those returns703
- Tax returns filed by households leaving309
- Net household movement67
- Adjusted gross income arriving$33.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$7.1 m
- Average income of an arriving household$90,008
- Average income of a leaving household$86,528
- Largest single originYellowstone County (114 households)
- Largest single destinationYellowstone County (113 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone County | 114 | 225 | $8.7 m |
Households arriving report $3,480 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 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.
Stillwater County
What is the Stillwater County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$725.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$751.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-3.5 percent
- GDP change over five years-4.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Montana areas BEA publishes17th of 56
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2111th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$78,968
Output grew -3.5 percent in the latest year and -4.1 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.
Stillwater County
Employment by industry in Stillwater County
- Covered employment, annual average3,401
- Establishments reporting401
- Average annual pay$75,084
- Average weekly wage$1,444
- Retail trade, employment337
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,636
- Accommodation and food services, employment283
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,491
- Manufacturing, employment232
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$49,152
- Other services, except public administration, employment87
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$36,853
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment86
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment61
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 337 | 32 | $34,636 |
| Accommodation and food services | 283 | 34 | $18,491 |
| Manufacturing | 232 | 13 | $49,152 |
| Other services, except public administration | 87 | 29 | $36,853 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 86 | 40 | $79,116 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 61 | 13 | $47,553 |
| Wholesale trade | 42 | 19 | $106,038 |
| Finance and insurance | 28 | 13 | $57,137 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 337 jobs, 9.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Stillwater County
How many businesses are in Stillwater County?
- Establishments, all industries263
- Employment at those establishments3,021
- Annual payroll$239.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.6
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.
Stillwater County
Building permits in Stillwater 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.
Stillwater County
SBA loans in Stillwater County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded12
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$265,350
- Median 7(a) approval$212,600
- Largest single approval$871,300
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)73
- Jobs per approval6.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Most active lenderThe Yellowstone Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$812,000
- Average 504 approval$406,000
- Median 504 approval$406,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval16.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved40.6
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$4.0 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.
Stillwater County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Stillwater County
Do SBA loans in Stillwater County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Cancelled1
Only 4 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.
Stillwater County
SBA lending by place in Stillwater County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending4
- Absarokee, approvals4
- Reed Point, approvals4
- Columbus, approvals3
- Park City, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Absarokee | 4 | $1,546,200 |
| Reed Point | 4 | $905,000 |
| Columbus | 3 | $580,000 |
| Park City | 1 | $153,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Stillwater County
How large is Stillwater County?
- Land area1,795 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties38th of 56
- Width, east to west59.1 mi
- Height, north to south66.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land5
- Establishments per square mile0.15
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.
Stillwater County
Flood risk in Stillwater County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Stillwater County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 300078
- 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 Stillwater 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 Stillwater County (community 300078), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Stillwater 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 Stillwater 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 Stillwater County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,182
- Households3,810
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$84,732
- Median age46.7
Common questions
Stillwater County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Stillwater County, Montana?
The Census Bureau estimates 9,450 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 9,182, in 3,810 households, ranking 25th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Stillwater County's population growing?
The population has grown 5.43 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,963, to 9,450 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 91 births against 78 deaths, with net migration of 203. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Stillwater County?
$84,732. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $405,800, which is 4.8 times income, and median gross rent is $961 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Stillwater County?
263 establishments, employing 3,021 people with an annual payroll of $239.8 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 Stillwater County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 337 jobs, 9.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 3,401 jobs at an average annual pay of $75,084, or $1,444 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Stillwater County?
12 7(a) approvals totaling $3.2 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $212,600, plus 2 504 approvals worth $812,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Stillwater 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 Stillwater 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 Stillwater County come from?
The largest single origin is Yellowstone County, with 114 households. Arriving households report an average income of $90,008 against $86,528 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Stillwater 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 Stillwater 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.
Stillwater County
Cities and places in Stillwater.
7 Census places lie wholly or partly in Stillwater County. All 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | town | 2,003 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Absarokee | CDP | 926 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Park City | CDP | 764 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Reed Point | CDP | 147 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Fishtail | CDP | 89 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Nye | CDP | 85 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rapelje | CDP | 69 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby