Toole County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Toole County, Montana had an estimated 5,153 residents on July 1, 2024, up 3.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 4,969, across 1,916 square miles. County output reached $488.9 m in 2024, 174 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $573,800 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Toole County
How many people live in Toole County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,061
- Households1,852
- Average household size2.73
- Median household income$57,731
- Median age37.7
- Median gross rent$826 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$218,400
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,590
- Population under 181,066
- Share under 1821.1 percent
- Population 65 and over912
- Share 65 and over18.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,083
- Civilian labor force2,334
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.4 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties36th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2894th of 3,222
Toole County is the 36th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.1 percent against 18.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Toole County
Is Toole County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20245,153
- Census 2020 base population4,969
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.70 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202425
- Births, 202461
- Deaths, 202464
- Natural change, 2024-3
- Net domestic migration, 202425
- Net international migration, 20244
- Total net migration, 202429
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024180
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents744th of 3,144
The county has grown 3.70 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Toole County
Where are people moving to Toole County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving186
- People arriving, from those returns310
- Tax returns filed by households leaving129
- Net household movement57
- Adjusted gross income arriving$6.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$1.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$37,156
- Average income of a leaving household$45,581
- Largest single originCascade County (29 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade County | 29 | 35 | $677,000 |
Households arriving report $8,425 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Cascade 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.
Toole County
What is the Toole County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$488.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$511.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-4.4 percent
- GDP change over five years34.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Montana areas BEA publishes27th of 56
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2416th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$96,595
Output grew -4.4 percent in the latest year and 34.5 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.
Toole County
Employment by industry in Toole County
- Covered employment, annual average1,794
- Establishments reporting239
- Average annual pay$55,786
- Average weekly wage$1,073
- Accommodation and food services, employment179
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,899
- Retail trade, employment144
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,347
- Transportation and warehousing, employment134
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$57,886
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, employment80
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, average annual pay$50,841
- Finance and insurance, employment53
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment44
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 179 | 24 | $19,899 |
| Retail trade | 144 | 17 | $34,347 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 134 | 23 | $57,886 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 80 | 19 | $50,841 |
| Finance and insurance | 53 | 15 | $73,996 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 44 | 9 | $20,350 |
| Other services, except public administration | 28 | 12 | $25,714 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 25 | 7 | $32,945 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 179 jobs, 10.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Toole County
How many businesses are in Toole County?
- Establishments, all industries174
- Employment at those establishments1,428
- Annual payroll$70.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents34.4
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.
Toole County
Building permits in Toole 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.
Toole County
SBA loans in Toole County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$573,800
- Average 7(a) approval$286,900
- Median 7(a) approval$286,900
- Largest single approval$568,800
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)7
- Jobs per approval3.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term143 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 shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Toole County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Toole County
Do SBA loans in Toole County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
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.
Toole County
SBA lending by place in Toole County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Shelby, approvals1
- Sunburst, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby | 1 | $568,800 |
| Sunburst | 1 | $5,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Toole County
How large is Toole County?
- Land area1,916 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties34th of 56
- Width, east to west42.2 mi
- Height, north to south53.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land3
- Establishments per square mile0.09
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.
Toole County
Flood risk in Toole County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Toole County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 300169
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate66.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Toole 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 Toole County (community 300169), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Toole 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. 66.7 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 Toole 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 Toole County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,061
- Households1,852
- Average household size2.73
- Median household income$57,731
- Median age37.7
Common questions
Toole County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Toole County, Montana?
The Census Bureau estimates 5,153 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 5,061, in 1,852 households, ranking 36th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Toole County's population growing?
The population has grown 3.70 percent since the 2020 census base of 4,969, to 5,153 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 61 births against 64 deaths, with net migration of 29. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Toole County?
$57,731. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $218,400, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $826 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Toole County?
174 establishments, employing 1,428 people with an annual payroll of $70.0 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 Toole County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 179 jobs, 10.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,794 jobs at an average annual pay of $55,786, or $1,073 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Toole County?
2 7(a) approvals totaling $573,800 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $286,900. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Toole 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 Toole 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 Toole County come from?
The largest single origin is Cascade County, with 29 households. Arriving households report an average income of $37,156 against $45,581 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Toole 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 Toole 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.
Toole County
Cities and places in Toole.
7 Census places lie wholly or partly in Toole 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby | city | 3,216 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Sunburst | town | 301 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Hillside Colony | CDP | 245 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Camrose Colony | CDP | 126 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kevin | town | 108 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sweet Grass | CDP | 70 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rimrock Colony | CDP | 39 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby