Cascade County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Cascade County, Montana has a population of 84,606 across 2,698 square miles, up 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $5.71 bn in 2024, 2,472 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 80 7(a) approvals worth $31.9 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Cascade County
How many people live in Cascade County
- Population84,606
- Households35,615
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$67,690
- Median age38.6
- Median gross rent$939 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$265,300
- Home value to household income3.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over58,253
- Population under 1818,862
- Share under 1822.3 percent
- Population 65 and over16,614
- Share 65 and over19.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6449,130
- Civilian labor force39,874
- Unemployment rate3.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.7 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties5th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents694th
Cascade County is the 5th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 3.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.3 percent against 19.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cascade County
Is Cascade County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.13 percent
- Census 2020 base population84,411
- Births, 2024933
- Deaths, 20241,007
- Natural change, 2024-74
- Net domestic migration, 2024-23
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 2024-21
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024565
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1781st
The county has grown 0.13 percent since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Cascade County
Where people moving to Cascade County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,510
- People arriving, from those returns4,612
- Adjusted gross income arriving$148.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$59,339
- Largest single originCascade County Non-migrants (32,452 households)
- Largest single destination (32,452 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade County Non-migrants | 32,452 | 63,221 | $2.34 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,459 | 2,790 | $96.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 693 | 1,347 | $48.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 438 | 885 | $26.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 248 | 444 | $16.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 188 | 315 | $10.5 m |
| Lewis and Clark County | 101 | 172 | $4.4 m |
| Missoula County | 90 | 136 | $3.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Cascade 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.
Cascade County
What the Cascade County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$5.71 bn
- County GDP, 2023$5.45 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.8 percent
- GDP change over five years45.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties5th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents665th
- GDP per resident$67,507
Output grew 4.8 percent in the latest year and 45.7 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.
Cascade County
Who employs people in Cascade County
- Covered employment, annual average36,513
- Establishments reporting3,200
- Average annual pay$55,412
- Average weekly wage$1,066
- Sector 62, employment7,130
- Sector 62, average annual pay$62,468
- Sector 44-45, employment4,830
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$38,658
- Sector 72, employment4,248
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,602
- Sector 23, employment2,607
- Sector 23, average annual pay$75,152
- Sector 56, employment1,749
- Sector 52, employment1,584
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 7,130 | 340 | $62,468 |
| Sector 44-45 | 4,830 | 314 | $38,658 |
| Sector 72 | 4,248 | 245 | $23,602 |
| Sector 23 | 2,607 | 350 | $75,152 |
| Sector 56 | 1,749 | 223 | $50,503 |
| Sector 52 | 1,584 | 182 | $85,292 |
| Sector 42 | 1,499 | 171 | $71,559 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,299 | 82 | $73,673 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 7,130 jobs, 19.5 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.
Cascade County
What businesses operate in Cascade County
- Establishments, all industries2,472
- Employment at those establishments30,050
- Annual payroll$1.46 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents29.2
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.
Cascade County
What is being built in Cascade County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024223
- Declared construction value permitted$68.7 m
- Single family units authorised164
- Multifamily units authorised59
- Multifamily share of units26.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$308,054
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.3
Multifamily is 26.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cascade County
How much SBA lending happens in Cascade County
- 7(a) approvals recorded80
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$31.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$398,306
- Median 7(a) approval$120,000
- 10th percentile approval$12,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,020,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)539
- Jobs per approval6.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active19
- Distinct industries receiving approvals51
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms12
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter64
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals6.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countResidential Remodelers (6)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (24)
- 504 approvals recorded51
- 504 gross approval dollars$30.1 m
- Average 504 approval$591,020
- Median 504 approval$414,000
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval7.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.6
- Most active CDCHigh Plains Financial, Inc. (32)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals61.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$62.0 m
The average approval of $398,306 sits well above the median of $120,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 15.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Cascade County
Do SBA loans in Cascade County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded12
- Paid in full11
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans8.3 percent
- Status: Paid in full11
- Status: Cancelled14
- Status: Exempt from disclosure50
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 8.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cascade County
Which parts of Cascade County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- GREAT FALLS, approvals74
- BLACK EAGLE, approvals3
- NEIHART, approvals2
- BELT, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| GREAT FALLS | 74 | $29,376,000 |
| BLACK EAGLE | 3 | $117,000 |
| NEIHART | 2 | $2,366,500 |
| BELT | 1 | $5,000 |
GREAT FALLS accounts for 74 approvals against 3 in BLACK EAGLE. 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.
Cascade County
How big is Cascade County
- Land area2,698 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties21st of 56
- Width, east to west66.1 mi
- Height, north to south60.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land31
- Establishments per square mile0.92
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 Cascade 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 Cascade County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population84,606
- Households35,615
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$67,690
- Median age38.6
Common questions
Cascade County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cascade County, Montana?
84,606, in 35,615 households, ranking 5th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cascade County growing?
The population has grown 0.13 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 933 births against 1,007 deaths, with net migration of -21. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cascade County?
$67,690. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $265,300, which is 3.9 times income, and median gross rent is $939 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Cascade County?
2,472 establishments, employing 30,050 people with an annual payroll of $1.46 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Cascade County?
Average annual pay is $55,412, or $1,066 a week, across 36,513 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cascade County?
80 7(a) approvals totalling $31.9 m since FY2020, across 19 lenders, with a median approval of $120,000, plus 51 504 approvals worth $30.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Cascade County get paid back?
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 11 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 8.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Cascade County?
223 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $68.7 m. Multifamily was 26.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cascade 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 Cascade County come from?
The largest single origin is Cascade County Non-migrants, with 32,452 households. Arriving households report an average income of $59,339 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 Cascade 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 Cascade 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.