Lincoln County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Lincoln County, Montana has a population of 21,175 across 3,613 square miles, up 12.7 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $880.5 m in 2024, 671 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $5.1 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Lincoln County
How many people live in Lincoln County
- Population21,175
- Households9,082
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$47,143
- Median age52.8
- Median gross rent$762 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$296,500
- Home value to household income6.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over16,303
- Population under 183,823
- Share under 1818.1 percent
- Population 65 and over6,382
- Share 65 and over30.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,970
- Civilian labor force7,790
- Unemployment rate5.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over44.9 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties10th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1810th
Lincoln County is the 10th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 6.3 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 30.1 percent against 18.1 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.
Lincoln County
Is Lincoln County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base12.72 percent
- Census 2020 base population19,680
- Births, 2024198
- Deaths, 2024305
- Natural change, 2024-107
- Net domestic migration, 2024425
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 2024427
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,946
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents95th
The county has grown 12.72 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.
Lincoln County
Where people moving to Lincoln County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving858
- People arriving, from those returns1,623
- Adjusted gross income arriving$73.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$85,024
- Largest single originLincoln County Non-migrants (7,415 households)
- Largest single destination (7,415 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County Non-migrants | 7,415 | 14,910 | $469.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 560 | 1,069 | $52.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 424 | 808 | $33.1 m |
| Flathead County | 143 | 250 | $10.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 84 | 170 | $5.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 71 | 147 | $9.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 65 | 114 | $9.9 m |
| Spokane County | 25 | 55 | $1.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Lincoln 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.
Lincoln County
What the Lincoln County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$880.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$803.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20249.5 percent
- GDP change over five years39.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties15th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1950th
- GDP per resident$41,580
Output grew 9.5 percent in the latest year and 39.8 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.
Lincoln County
Who employs people in Lincoln County
- Covered employment, annual average6,260
- Establishments reporting960
- Average annual pay$47,582
- Average weekly wage$915
- Sector 62, employment1,105
- Sector 62, average annual pay$50,586
- Sector 44-45, employment898
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,445
- Sector 72, employment647
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,111
- Sector 23, employment534
- Sector 23, average annual pay$55,258
- Sector 48-49, employment262
- Sector 81, employment243
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 1,105 | 96 | $50,586 |
| Sector 44-45 | 898 | 93 | $32,445 |
| Sector 72 | 647 | 62 | $20,111 |
| Sector 23 | 534 | 146 | $55,258 |
| Sector 48-49 | 262 | 36 | $41,197 |
| Sector 81 | 243 | 71 | $25,035 |
| Sector 31-33 | 189 | 33 | $35,192 |
| Sector 71 | 183 | 26 | $21,770 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,105 jobs, 17.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Lincoln County
What businesses operate in Lincoln County
- Establishments, all industries671
- Employment at those establishments4,520
- Annual payroll$170.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents31.7
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.
Lincoln County
What is being built in Lincoln County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202417
- Declared construction value permitted$2.0 m
- Single family units authorised11
- Multifamily units authorised6
- Multifamily share of units35.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$117,381
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.9
Multifamily is 35.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Lincoln County
How much SBA lending happens in Lincoln County
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$508,610
- Median 7(a) approval$405,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,145,000
- Largest single approval$2,145,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)24
- Jobs per approval2.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer40.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countPlumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (2)
- Most active lenderGlacier Bank (2)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.3 m
- Average 504 approval$1,128,500
- Median 504 approval$1,584,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval0.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved0.0
- Most active CDCCapital Matrix, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals83.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$7.3 m
The average approval of $508,610 sits close to the median of $405,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 40.0 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.
Lincoln County
Do SBA loans in Lincoln County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
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.
Lincoln County
Which parts of Lincoln County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- Libby, approvals5
- EUREKA, approvals4
- REXFORD, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Libby | 5 | $3,646,100 |
| EUREKA | 4 | $1,035,000 |
| REXFORD | 1 | $405,000 |
Libby accounts for 5 approvals against 4 in EUREKA. 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.
Lincoln County
How big is Lincoln County
- Land area3,613 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties12th of 56
- Width, east to west66 mi
- Height, north to south76.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land6
- Establishments per square mile0.19
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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population21,175
- Households9,082
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$47,143
- Median age52.8
Common questions
Lincoln County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Lincoln County, Montana?
21,175, in 9,082 households, ranking 10th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Lincoln County growing?
The population has grown 12.72 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 198 births against 305 deaths, with net migration of 427. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Lincoln County?
$47,143. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $296,500, which is 6.3 times income, and median gross rent is $762 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Lincoln County?
671 establishments, employing 4,520 people with an annual payroll of $170.7 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 Lincoln County?
Average annual pay is $47,582, or $915 a week, across 6,260 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Lincoln County?
10 7(a) approvals totalling $5.1 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $405,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $2.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Lincoln County?
17 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.0 m. Multifamily was 35.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Lincoln 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 Lincoln County come from?
The largest single origin is Lincoln County Non-migrants, with 7,415 households. Arriving households report an average income of $85,024 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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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.