Lake County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Lake County, Montana has a population of 32,561 across 1,490 square miles, up 7.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.35 bn in 2024, 991 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 57 7(a) approvals worth $21.3 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Lake County
How many people live in Lake County
- Population32,561
- Households12,576
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$63,360
- Median age44.3
- Median gross rent$901 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$421,800
- Home value to household income6.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher31.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over23,089
- Population under 187,167
- Share under 1822.0 percent
- Population 65 and over7,894
- Share 65 and over24.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6417,500
- Civilian labor force14,537
- Unemployment rate5.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.2 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties9th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1408th
Lake County is the 9th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 6.7 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.2 percent against 22.0 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.
Lake County
Is Lake County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base7.30 percent
- Census 2020 base population31,131
- Births, 2024282
- Deaths, 2024356
- Natural change, 2024-74
- Net domestic migration, 2024224
- Net international migration, 2024-2
- Total net migration, 2024222
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,418
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents291st
The county has grown 7.30 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.
Lake County
Where people moving to Lake County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,026
- People arriving, from those returns1,921
- Adjusted gross income arriving$132.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$129,081
- Largest single originLake County Non-migrants (11,090 households)
- Largest single destination (11,090 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County Non-migrants | 11,090 | 22,578 | $787.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 566 | 1,092 | $87.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 430 | 816 | $77.5 m |
| Flathead County | 148 | 275 | $13.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 147 | 268 | $6.6 m |
| Missoula County | 141 | 247 | $7.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 86 | 178 | $6.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 50 | 98 | $3.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lake 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.
Lake County
What the Lake County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.35 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.26 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.8 percent
- GDP change over five years44.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties9th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1592nd
- GDP per resident$41,611
Output grew 7.8 percent in the latest year and 44.2 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.
Lake County
Who employs people in Lake County
- Covered employment, annual average9,768
- Establishments reporting1,300
- Average annual pay$50,280
- Average weekly wage$967
- Sector 62, employment1,252
- Sector 62, average annual pay$56,383
- Sector 44-45, employment1,182
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,519
- Sector 72, employment805
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,572
- Sector 31-33, employment748
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$45,631
- Sector 23, employment611
- Sector 54, employment304
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 1,252 | 124 | $56,383 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,182 | 90 | $36,519 |
| Sector 72 | 805 | 100 | $20,572 |
| Sector 31-33 | 748 | 53 | $45,631 |
| Sector 23 | 611 | 234 | $46,649 |
| Sector 54 | 304 | 170 | $75,465 |
| Sector 81 | 292 | 89 | $34,053 |
| Sector 52 | 179 | 36 | $59,720 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,252 jobs, 12.8 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.
Lake County
What businesses operate in Lake County
- Establishments, all industries991
- Employment at those establishments7,817
- Annual payroll$367.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents30.4
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.
Lake County
What is being built in Lake County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202419
- Declared construction value permitted$3.7 m
- Single family units authorised11
- Multifamily units authorised8
- Multifamily share of units42.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$193,132
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.5
Multifamily is 42.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lake County
How much SBA lending happens in Lake County
- 7(a) approvals recorded57
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$21.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$373,418
- Median 7(a) approval$170,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,500
- 90th percentile approval$1,487,300
- Largest single approval$2,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)432
- Jobs per approval7.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active13
- Distinct industries receiving approvals45
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer19.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter41
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals3.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (3)
- Most active lenderValley Bank of Ronan (36)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.8 m
- Average 504 approval$552,800
- Median 504 approval$320,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval6.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.6
- Most active CDCBig Sky Economic Development Corporation (4)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals91.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$24.0 m
The average approval of $373,418 sits well above the median of $170,000, 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. Only 19.3 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.
Lake County
Do SBA loans in Lake County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded12
- Paid in full12
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full12
- Status: Exempt from disclosure42
- Status: Cancelled3
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Lake County
Which parts of Lake County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending9
- POLSON, approvals24
- RONAN, approvals15
- SAINT IGNATIUS, approvals8
- ARLEE, approvals4
- CHARLO, approvals2
- Elmo, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| POLSON | 24 | $11,794,100 |
| RONAN | 15 | $3,754,900 |
| SAINT IGNATIUS | 8 | $1,763,300 |
| ARLEE | 4 | $844,000 |
| CHARLO | 2 | $543,500 |
| Elmo | 1 | $125,000 |
| DAYTON | 1 | $250,000 |
| Rollins | 1 | $2,000,000 |
POLSON accounts for 24 approvals against 15 in RONAN. 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.
Lake County
How big is Lake County
- Land area1,490 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties46th of 56
- Width, east to west46.6 mi
- Height, north to south63.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land22
- Establishments per square mile0.67
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 Lake 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 Lake County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population32,561
- Households12,576
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$63,360
- Median age44.3
Common questions
Lake County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lake County, Montana?
32,561, in 12,576 households, ranking 9th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lake County growing?
The population has grown 7.30 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 282 births against 356 deaths, with net migration of 222. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lake County?
$63,360. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $421,800, which is 6.7 times income, and median gross rent is $901 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lake County?
991 establishments, employing 7,817 people with an annual payroll of $367.7 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 Lake County?
Average annual pay is $50,280, or $967 a week, across 9,768 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lake County?
57 7(a) approvals totalling $21.3 m since FY2020, across 13 lenders, with a median approval of $170,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $2.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Lake County get paid back?
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 12 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Lake County?
19 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.7 m. Multifamily was 42.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lake 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 Lake County come from?
The largest single origin is Lake County Non-migrants, with 11,090 households. Arriving households report an average income of $129,081 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 Lake 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 Lake 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.