Daniels County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Daniels County, Montana has a population of 1,494 across 1,426 square miles, down 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $122.6 m in 2024, 76 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $1.2 m.
100 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Daniels County
How many people live in Daniels County
- Population1,494
- Households734
- Average household size2.04
- Median household income$55,625
- Median age53.4
- Median gross rent$581 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$184,800
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over1,160
- Population under 18267
- Share under 1817.9 percent
- Population 65 and over473
- Share 65 and over31.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64754
- Civilian labor force817
- Unemployment rate0.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.6 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties49th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents3157th
Daniels County is the 49th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 31.7 percent against 17.9 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.
Daniels County
Is Daniels County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.87 percent
- Census 2020 base population1,656
- Births, 20248
- Deaths, 202422
- Natural change, 2024-14
- Net domestic migration, 202413
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 202414
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202418
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2472nd
The county has lost 1.87 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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.
Daniels County
Where people moving to Daniels County come from
- Adjusted gross income arriving$0
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Largest single originDaniels County Non-migrants (718 households)
- Largest single destination (718 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniels County Non-migrants | 718 | 1,468 | $54.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Daniels 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.
Daniels County
What the Daniels County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$122.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$119.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.9 percent
- GDP change over five years4.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties47th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents3028th
- GDP per resident$82,087
Output grew 2.9 percent in the latest year and 4.7 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.
Daniels County
Who employs people in Daniels County
- Covered employment, annual average559
- Establishments reporting100
- Average annual pay$49,725
- Average weekly wage$956
- Sector 42, employment63
- Sector 42, average annual pay$65,508
- Sector 52, employment41
- Sector 52, average annual pay$52,517
- Sector 81, employment19
- Sector 81, average annual pay$26,171
- Sector 54, employment13
- Sector 54, average annual pay$49,686
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 42 | 63 | 11 | $65,508 |
| Sector 52 | 41 | 6 | $52,517 |
| Sector 81 | 19 | 8 | $26,171 |
| Sector 54 | 13 | 8 | $49,686 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 63 jobs, 11.3 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.
Daniels County
What businesses operate in Daniels County
- Establishments, all industries76
- Employment at those establishments572
- Annual payroll$30.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents50.9
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.
Daniels County
What is being built in Daniels County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241
- Declared construction value permitted$416,234
- Single family units authorised1
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$416,234
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.4
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Daniels County
How much SBA lending happens in Daniels County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$384,000
- Median 7(a) approval$535,500
- 10th percentile approval$81,000
- 90th percentile approval$535,500
- Largest single approval$535,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)10
- Jobs per approval3.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term120 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 shorter3
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals33.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAutomotive Parts and Accessories Stores (2)
- Most active lenderStockman Bank of Montana (2)
The average approval of $384,000 sits close to the median of $535,500, 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.
Daniels County
Do SBA loans in Daniels County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
- 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.
Daniels County
Which parts of Daniels County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- Scobey, approvals2
- WHITETAIL, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Scobey | 2 | $1,071,000 |
| WHITETAIL | 1 | $81,000 |
Scobey accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in WHITETAIL. 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.
Daniels County
How big is Daniels County
- Land area1,426 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties48th of 56
- Width, east to west53.6 mi
- Height, north to south30.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land1
- Establishments per square mile0.05
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 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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 Daniels 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 Daniels County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population1,494
- Households734
- Average household size2.04
- Median household income$55,625
- Median age53.4
Common questions
Daniels County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Daniels County, Montana?
1,494, in 734 households, ranking 49th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Daniels County growing?
The population has fallen 1.87 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 8 births against 22 deaths, with net migration of 14. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Daniels County?
$55,625. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $184,800, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $581 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Daniels County?
76 establishments, employing 572 people with an annual payroll of $30.9 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 Daniels County?
Average annual pay is $49,725, or $956 a week, across 559 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Daniels County?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $1.2 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $535,500. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Daniels County?
1 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $416,234. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Daniels 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 Daniels County come from?
The largest single origin is Daniels County Non-migrants, with 718 households. Arriving households report an average income of null 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 Daniels 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 Daniels 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.