Chouteau County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Chouteau County, Montana has a population of 5,906 across 3,972 square miles, down 0.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $292.5 m in 2024, 153 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $400,000.
114 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Chouteau County
How many people live in Chouteau County
- Population5,906
- Households2,159
- Average household size2.74
- Median household income$58,218
- Median age43.0
- Median gross rent$536 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$207,800
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income11.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,209
- Population under 181,318
- Share under 1822.3 percent
- Population 65 and over1,381
- Share 65 and over23.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,207
- Civilian labor force2,450
- Unemployment rate3.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over53.4 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties34th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2817th
Chouteau County is the 34th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.4 percent against 22.3 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Chouteau County
Is Chouteau County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.59 percent
- Census 2020 base population5,915
- Births, 202449
- Deaths, 202445
- Natural change, 20244
- Net domestic migration, 2024-2
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 20240
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202430
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2053rd
The county has lost 0.59 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Chouteau County
Where people moving to Chouteau County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving141
- People arriving, from those returns255
- Adjusted gross income arriving$5.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$41,199
- Largest single originChouteau County Non-migrants (1,815 households)
- Largest single destination (1,815 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chouteau County Non-migrants | 1,815 | 3,797 | $113.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 48 | 82 | $1.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 39 | 66 | $2.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 39 | 66 | $2.0 m |
| Cascade County | 34 | 52 | $1.3 m |
| Hill County | 20 | 55 | $611,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Chouteau 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.
Chouteau County
What the Chouteau County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$292.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$429.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-31.9 percent
- GDP change over five years2.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties37th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2714th
- GDP per resident$49,518
Output grew -31.9 percent in the latest year and 2.8 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.
Chouteau County
Who employs people in Chouteau County
- Covered employment, annual average1,237
- Establishments reporting229
- Average annual pay$44,304
- Average weekly wage$852
- Sector 44-45, employment132
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$53,571
- Sector 72, employment83
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,238
- Sector 31-33, employment61
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$56,851
- Sector 81, employment58
- Sector 81, average annual pay$45,978
- Sector 42, employment54
- Sector 52, employment47
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 132 | 20 | $53,571 |
| Sector 72 | 83 | 14 | $19,238 |
| Sector 31-33 | 61 | 6 | $56,851 |
| Sector 81 | 58 | 16 | $45,978 |
| Sector 42 | 54 | 13 | $62,484 |
| Sector 52 | 47 | 16 | $50,858 |
| Sector 53 | 24 | 5 | $19,236 |
| Sector 71 | 22 | 6 | $14,974 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 132 jobs, 10.7 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.
Chouteau County
What businesses operate in Chouteau County
- Establishments, all industries153
- Employment at those establishments772
- Annual payroll$32.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.9
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.
Chouteau County
What is being built in Chouteau County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202419
- Declared construction value permitted$5.4 m
- Single family units authorised17
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units10.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$285,302
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.8
Multifamily is 10.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Chouteau County
How much SBA lending happens in Chouteau County
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$400,000
- Average 7(a) approval$200,000
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$350,000
- Largest single approval$350,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)12
- Jobs per approval6.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term149 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
- Leading industry by approval countOther Snack Food Manufacturing (1)
- Most active lenderGlacier Bank (1)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$912,000
- Average 504 approval$228,000
- Median 504 approval$229,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval4.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved20.8
- Most active CDCHigh Plains Financial, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals33.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$1.3 m
The average approval of $200,000 sits close to the median of $350,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 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.
Chouteau County
Do SBA loans in Chouteau County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
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.
Chouteau County
Which parts of Chouteau County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- Big Sandy, approvals1
- Fort Benton, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Big Sandy | 1 | $350,000 |
| Fort Benton | 1 | $50,000 |
Big Sandy accounts for 1 approvals against 1 in Fort Benton. 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.
Chouteau County
How big is Chouteau County
- Land area3,972 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties10th of 56
- Width, east to west87 mi
- Height, north to south61.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land1
- 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 Chouteau 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 Chouteau County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population5,906
- Households2,159
- Average household size2.74
- Median household income$58,218
- Median age43.0
Common questions
Chouteau County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Chouteau County, Montana?
5,906, in 2,159 households, ranking 34th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Chouteau County growing?
The population has fallen 0.59 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 49 births against 45 deaths, with net migration of 0. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Chouteau County?
$58,218. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $207,800, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $536 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Chouteau County?
153 establishments, employing 772 people with an annual payroll of $32.4 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 Chouteau County?
Average annual pay is $44,304, or $852 a week, across 1,237 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Chouteau County?
2 7(a) approvals totalling $400,000 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $912,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Chouteau County?
19 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $5.4 m. Multifamily was 10.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Chouteau 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 Chouteau County come from?
The largest single origin is Chouteau County Non-migrants, with 1,815 households. Arriving households report an average income of $41,199 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 Chouteau 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 Chouteau 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.