Deer Lodge County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Deer Lodge County, Montana has a population of 9,597 across 737 square miles, up 4.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $431.3 m in 2024, 312 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $679,500.
111 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Deer Lodge County
How many people live in Deer Lodge County
- Population9,597
- Households4,473
- Average household size2.15
- Median household income$57,527
- Median age49.9
- Median gross rent$696 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$231,700
- Home value to household income4.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,649
- Population under 181,155
- Share under 1812.0 percent
- Population 65 and over2,528
- Share 65 and over26.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,914
- Civilian labor force4,704
- Unemployment rate3.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.7 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties23rd of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2517th
Deer Lodge County is the 23rd largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 4.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 26.3 percent against 12.0 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.
Deer Lodge County
Is Deer Lodge County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.10 percent
- Census 2020 base population9,425
- Births, 202476
- Deaths, 2024100
- Natural change, 2024-24
- Net domestic migration, 2024149
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 2024149
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024547
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents671st
The county has grown 4.10 percent 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.
Deer Lodge County
Where people moving to Deer Lodge County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving299
- People arriving, from those returns514
- Adjusted gross income arriving$19.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$65,870
- Largest single originDeer Lodge County Non-migrants (3,432 households)
- Largest single destination (3,432 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Lodge County Non-migrants | 3,432 | 6,246 | $222.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 121 | 200 | $8.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 99 | 174 | $6.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 96 | 160 | $7.1 m |
| Silver Bow County | 58 | 108 | $3.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 25 | 40 | $1.6 m |
| Missoula County | 21 | 32 | $1.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Deer Lodge 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.
Deer Lodge County
What the Deer Lodge County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$431.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$421.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.3 percent
- GDP change over five years47.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties28th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2496th
- GDP per resident$44,937
Output grew 2.3 percent in the latest year and 47.2 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.
Deer Lodge County
Who employs people in Deer Lodge County
- Covered employment, annual average3,422
- Establishments reporting350
- Average annual pay$53,260
- Average weekly wage$1,024
- Sector 62, employment816
- Sector 62, average annual pay$73,369
- Sector 72, employment349
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,289
- Sector 44-45, employment348
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,504
- Sector 56, employment274
- Sector 56, average annual pay$66,365
- Sector 23, employment138
- Sector 31-33, employment118
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 816 | 51 | $73,369 |
| Sector 72 | 349 | 38 | $18,289 |
| Sector 44-45 | 348 | 36 | $32,504 |
| Sector 56 | 274 | 16 | $66,365 |
| Sector 23 | 138 | 38 | $66,099 |
| Sector 31-33 | 118 | 15 | $55,389 |
| Sector 81 | 69 | 21 | $39,829 |
| Sector 71 | 57 | 11 | $20,959 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 816 jobs, 23.8 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.
Deer Lodge County
What businesses operate in Deer Lodge County
- Establishments, all industries312
- Employment at those establishments2,957
- Annual payroll$147.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents32.5
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.
Deer Lodge County
What is being built in Deer Lodge County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202420
- Declared construction value permitted$5.8 m
- Single family units authorised20
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$289,272
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.5
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Deer Lodge County
How much SBA lending happens in Deer Lodge County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$679,500
- Average 7(a) approval$226,500
- Median 7(a) approval$102,500
- 10th percentile approval$102,000
- 90th percentile approval$475,000
- Largest single approval$475,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)7
- Jobs per approval2.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term60 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOther Building Material Dealers (3)
- Most active lenderBank of Bridger National Association (3)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.5 m
- Average 504 approval$503,000
- Median 504 approval$392,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval3.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved6.6
- Most active CDCBig Sky Economic Development Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals50.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$2.2 m
The average approval of $226,500 sits well above the median of $102,500, 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. 33.3 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.
Deer Lodge County
Do SBA loans in Deer Lodge County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 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.
Deer Lodge County
How big is Deer Lodge County
- Land area737 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties55th of 56
- Width, east to west46.1 mi
- Height, north to south34.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land13
- Establishments per square mile0.42
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 Deer Lodge 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 Deer Lodge County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population9,597
- Households4,473
- Average household size2.15
- Median household income$57,527
- Median age49.9
Common questions
Deer Lodge County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Deer Lodge County, Montana?
9,597, in 4,473 households, ranking 23rd of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Deer Lodge County growing?
The population has grown 4.10 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 76 births against 100 deaths, with net migration of 149. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Deer Lodge County?
$57,527. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $231,700, which is 4.0 times income, and median gross rent is $696 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Deer Lodge County?
312 establishments, employing 2,957 people with an annual payroll of $147.7 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 Deer Lodge County?
Average annual pay is $53,260, or $1,024 a week, across 3,422 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Deer Lodge County?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $679,500 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $102,500, plus 3 504 approvals worth $1.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Deer Lodge County?
20 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $5.8 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Deer Lodge 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 Deer Lodge County come from?
The largest single origin is Deer Lodge County Non-migrants, with 3,432 households. Arriving households report an average income of $65,870 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 Deer Lodge 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 Deer Lodge 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.