Hill County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Hill County, Montana has a population of 16,155 across 2,899 square miles, down 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $925.3 m in 2024, 493 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $4.3 m.
113 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Hill County
How many people live in Hill County
- Population16,155
- Households6,206
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$52,798
- Median age34.5
- Median gross rent$776 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$202,600
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over9,999
- Population under 184,563
- Share under 1828.2 percent
- Population 65 and over2,632
- Share 65 and over16.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,960
- Civilian labor force7,408
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.9 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties12th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2092nd
Hill County is the 12th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 28.2 percent against 16.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Hill County
Is Hill County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.40 percent
- Census 2020 base population16,293
- Births, 2024191
- Deaths, 2024178
- Natural change, 202413
- Net domestic migration, 2024-123
- Net international migration, 2024-3
- Total net migration, 2024-126
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-275
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2326th
The county has lost 1.40 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Hill County
Where people moving to Hill County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving361
- People arriving, from those returns660
- Adjusted gross income arriving$16.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$44,789
- Largest single originHill County Non-migrants (5,971 households)
- Largest single destination (5,971 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hill County Non-migrants | 5,971 | 12,172 | $378.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 149 | 265 | $6.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 148 | 258 | $7.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 90 | 157 | $4.3 m |
| Blaine County | 35 | 77 | $1.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 30 | 57 | $1.9 m |
| Cascade County | 29 | 60 | $1.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 28 | 44 | $1.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Hill 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.
Hill County
What the Hill County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$925.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$1.04 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-11.2 percent
- GDP change over five years18.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties13th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1902nd
- GDP per resident$57,278
Output grew -11.2 percent in the latest year and 18.6 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.
Hill County
Who employs people in Hill County
- Covered employment, annual average6,756
- Establishments reporting601
- Average annual pay$49,190
- Average weekly wage$946
- Sector 62, employment977
- Sector 62, average annual pay$55,182
- Sector 44-45, employment961
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,389
- Sector 72, employment743
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,711
- Sector 23, employment308
- Sector 23, average annual pay$67,535
- Sector 81, employment264
- Sector 52, employment223
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 977 | 50 | $55,182 |
| Sector 44-45 | 961 | 73 | $37,389 |
| Sector 72 | 743 | 52 | $18,711 |
| Sector 23 | 308 | 78 | $67,535 |
| Sector 81 | 264 | 47 | $34,825 |
| Sector 52 | 223 | 37 | $73,457 |
| Sector 42 | 211 | 24 | $53,973 |
| Sector 51 | 166 | 7 | $80,264 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 977 jobs, 14.5 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.
Hill County
What businesses operate in Hill County
- Establishments, all industries493
- Employment at those establishments5,092
- Annual payroll$240.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents30.5
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.
Hill County
What is being built in Hill County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241
- Declared construction value permitted$300,000
- Single family units authorised1
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$300,000
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.2
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Hill County
How much SBA lending happens in Hill County
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,067,475
- Median 7(a) approval$1,989,900
- 10th percentile approval$10,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,250,000
- Largest single approval$2,250,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)24
- Jobs per approval6.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer50.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals25.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (2)
- Most active lenderFirst Western SBLC, LLC (1)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.0 m
- Average 504 approval$2,040,000
- Median 504 approval$2,040,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval25.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.3
- Most active CDCBig Sky Economic Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals80.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$6.3 m
The average approval of $1,067,475 sits close to the median of $1,989,900, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 50.0 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.
Hill County
Do SBA loans in Hill County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 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.
Hill County
How big is Hill County
- Land area2,899 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties18th of 56
- Width, east to west59.1 mi
- Height, north to south59.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land6
- Establishments per square mile0.17
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 Hill 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 Hill County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population16,155
- Households6,206
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$52,798
- Median age34.5
Common questions
Hill County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hill County, Montana?
16,155, in 6,206 households, ranking 12th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hill County growing?
The population has fallen 1.40 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 191 births against 178 deaths, with net migration of -126. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hill County?
$52,798. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $202,600, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $776 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Hill County?
493 establishments, employing 5,092 people with an annual payroll of $240.1 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 Hill County?
Average annual pay is $49,190, or $946 a week, across 6,756 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hill County?
4 7(a) approvals totalling $4.3 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $1,989,900, plus 1 504 approvals worth $2.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Hill County?
1 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $300,000. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hill 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 Hill County come from?
The largest single origin is Hill County Non-migrants, with 5,971 households. Arriving households report an average income of $44,789 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 Hill 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 Hill 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.