Dawson County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Dawson County, Montana has a population of 8,827 across 2,372 square miles, down 2.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $515.1 m in 2024, 295 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 7 7(a) approvals worth $9.4 m.
109 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Dawson County
How many people live in Dawson County
- Population8,827
- Households3,615
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$71,334
- Median age43.0
- Median gross rent$815 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$185,300
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,161
- Population under 181,885
- Share under 1821.4 percent
- Population 65 and over1,868
- Share 65 and over21.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,074
- Civilian labor force4,470
- Unemployment rate2.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.4 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties26th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2579th
Dawson County is the 26th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.4 percent against 21.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Dawson County
Is Dawson County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.36 percent
- Census 2020 base population8,942
- Births, 202473
- Deaths, 202486
- Natural change, 2024-13
- Net domestic migration, 2024-78
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 2024-77
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-46
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2581st
The county has lost 2.36 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Dawson County
Where people moving to Dawson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving193
- People arriving, from those returns324
- Adjusted gross income arriving$8.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$44,777
- Largest single originDawson County Non-migrants (3,238 households)
- Largest single destination (3,238 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County Non-migrants | 3,238 | 6,633 | $226.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 113 | 199 | $4.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 80 | 125 | $3.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 62 | 107 | $2.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 51 | 92 | $2.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Dawson 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.
Dawson County
What the Dawson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$515.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$506.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.6 percent
- GDP change over five years22.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties25th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2389th
- GDP per resident$58,358
Output grew 1.6 percent in the latest year and 22.6 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.
Dawson County
Who employs people in Dawson County
- Covered employment, annual average3,382
- Establishments reporting407
- Average annual pay$50,128
- Average weekly wage$964
- Sector 44-45, employment544
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,592
- Sector 72, employment363
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,654
- Sector 48-49, employment240
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$92,459
- Sector 81, employment108
- Sector 81, average annual pay$28,687
- Sector 71, employment90
- Sector 21, employment88
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 544 | 45 | $36,592 |
| Sector 72 | 363 | 31 | $20,654 |
| Sector 48-49 | 240 | 20 | $92,459 |
| Sector 81 | 108 | 27 | $28,687 |
| Sector 71 | 90 | 10 | $20,955 |
| Sector 21 | 88 | 26 | $99,116 |
| Sector 23 | 77 | 32 | $49,129 |
| Sector 52 | 76 | 22 | $62,202 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 544 jobs, 16.1 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.
Dawson County
What businesses operate in Dawson County
- Establishments, all industries295
- Employment at those establishments2,404
- Annual payroll$140.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents33.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Dawson County
What is being built in Dawson 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.
Dawson County
How much SBA lending happens in Dawson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,339,357
- Median 7(a) approval$686,000
- 10th percentile approval$6,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,335,000
- Largest single approval$3,335,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)89
- Jobs per approval12.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer42.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals14.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
- Most active lenderStockman Bank of Montana (2)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.2 m
- Average 504 approval$745,667
- Median 504 approval$615,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval5.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.2
- Most active CDCBig Sky Economic Development Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals70.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$11.6 m
The average approval of $1,339,357 sits well above the median of $686,000, 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. 42.9 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.
Dawson County
Do SBA loans in Dawson County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Paid in full2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Dawson County
How big is Dawson County
- Land area2,372 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties28th of 56
- Width, east to west51.7 mi
- Height, north to south64.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land4
- Establishments per square mile0.12
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 Dawson 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 Dawson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population8,827
- Households3,615
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$71,334
- Median age43.0
Common questions
Dawson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Dawson County, Montana?
8,827, in 3,615 households, ranking 26th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Dawson County growing?
The population has fallen 2.36 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 73 births against 86 deaths, with net migration of -77. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Dawson County?
$71,334. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $185,300, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $815 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Dawson County?
295 establishments, employing 2,404 people with an annual payroll of $140.0 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 Dawson County?
Average annual pay is $50,128, or $964 a week, across 3,382 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Dawson County?
7 7(a) approvals totalling $9.4 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $686,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $2.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Dawson 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 Dawson 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 Dawson County come from?
The largest single origin is Dawson County Non-migrants, with 3,238 households. Arriving households report an average income of $44,777 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 Dawson 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 Dawson 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.