Big Horn County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Big Horn County, Montana has a population of 12,891 across 4,995 square miles, down 2.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.29 bn in 2024, 181 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $5.7 m.
112 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Big Horn County
How many people live in Big Horn County
- Population12,891
- Households3,827
- Average household size3.37
- Median household income$58,750
- Median age31.9
- Median gross rent$697 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$143,400
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,486
- Population under 184,041
- Share under 1831.3 percent
- Population 65 and over1,814
- Share 65 and over14.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,036
- Civilian labor force5,417
- Unemployment rate13.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.2 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties15th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2289th
Big Horn County is the 15th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 31.3 percent against 14.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Big Horn County
Is Big Horn County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.51 percent
- Census 2020 base population13,125
- Births, 2024183
- Deaths, 2024149
- Natural change, 202434
- Net domestic migration, 2024-61
- Net international migration, 2024-2
- Total net migration, 2024-63
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-304
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2636th
The county has lost 2.51 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Big Horn County
Where people moving to Big Horn County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving173
- People arriving, from those returns315
- Adjusted gross income arriving$6.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$36,676
- Largest single originBig Horn County Non-migrants (3,453 households)
- Largest single destination (3,453 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Horn County Non-migrants | 3,453 | 8,383 | $170.1 m |
| Yellowstone County | 78 | 146 | $1.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 48 | 90 | $2.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 48 | 90 | $2.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 47 | 79 | $1.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Big Horn County Non-migrants, 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.
Big Horn County
What the Big Horn County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.29 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.20 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.5 percent
- GDP change over five years48.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties10th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1643rd
- GDP per resident$99,731
Output grew 7.5 percent in the latest year and 48.1 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.
Big Horn County
Who employs people in Big Horn County
- Covered employment, annual average3,743
- Establishments reporting270
- Average annual pay$55,992
- Average weekly wage$1,077
- Sector 44-45, employment386
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,058
- Sector 21, employment368
- Sector 21, average annual pay$98,052
- Sector 72, employment188
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,207
- Sector 11, employment151
- Sector 11, average annual pay$45,283
- Sector 48-49, employment83
- Sector 71, employment66
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 386 | 26 | $33,058 |
| Sector 21 | 368 | 6 | $98,052 |
| Sector 72 | 188 | 22 | $20,207 |
| Sector 11 | 151 | 21 | $45,283 |
| Sector 48-49 | 83 | 14 | $46,050 |
| Sector 71 | 66 | 12 | $26,932 |
| Sector 52 | 63 | 12 | $51,576 |
| Sector 81 | 34 | 16 | $31,344 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 386 jobs, 10.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Big Horn County
What businesses operate in Big Horn County
- Establishments, all industries181
- Employment at those establishments1,774
- Annual payroll$92.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Big Horn County
What is being built in Big Horn County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorised0
- Multifamily units authorised0
No residential units were authorised 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.
Big Horn County
How much SBA lending happens in Big Horn County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,895,833
- Median 7(a) approval$1,975,000
- 10th percentile approval$1,312,500
- 90th percentile approval$2,400,000
- Largest single approval$2,400,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)40
- Jobs per approval13.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer66.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter0
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
- Most active lenderBeacon Bank and Trust (1)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$879,000
- Average 504 approval$439,500
- Median 504 approval$496,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval16.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved36.4
- Most active CDCBig Sky Economic Development Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals60.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$6.6 m
The average approval of $1,895,833 sits close to the median of $1,975,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 66.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Big Horn County
Do SBA loans in Big Horn County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Big Horn County
Which parts of Big Horn County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- HARDIN, approvals2
- FORT SMITH, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| HARDIN | 2 | $4,375,000 |
| FORT SMITH | 1 | $1,312,500 |
HARDIN accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in FORT SMITH. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Big Horn County
How big is Big Horn County
- Land area4,995 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties5th of 56
- Width, east to west118.1 mi
- Height, north to south72.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land3
- Establishments per square mile0.04
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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Big Horn 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 Big Horn County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population12,891
- Households3,827
- Average household size3.37
- Median household income$58,750
- Median age31.9
Common questions
Big Horn County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Big Horn County, Montana?
12,891, in 3,827 households, ranking 15th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Big Horn County growing?
The population has fallen 2.51 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 183 births against 149 deaths, with net migration of -63. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Big Horn County?
$58,750. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $143,400, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $697 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Big Horn County?
181 establishments, employing 1,774 people with an annual payroll of $92.2 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Big Horn County?
Average annual pay is $55,992, or $1,077 a week, across 3,743 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Big Horn County?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $5.7 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $1,975,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $879,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Big Horn County?
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Big Horn 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 Big Horn County come from?
The largest single origin is Big Horn County Non-migrants, with 3,453 households. Arriving households report an average income of $36,676 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Big Horn 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 Big Horn County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.