Musselshell County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Musselshell County, Montana has a population of 5,152 across 1,868 square miles, up 15.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $513.9 m in 2024, 118 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $275,600.
101 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Musselshell County
How many people live in Musselshell County
- Population5,152
- Households2,148
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$58,920
- Median age51.3
- Median gross rent$1,138 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$235,000
- Home value to household income4.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,829
- Population under 18998
- Share under 1819.4 percent
- Population 65 and over1,494
- Share 65 and over29.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 642,660
- Civilian labor force2,342
- Unemployment rate9.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.4 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties35th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2887th
Musselshell County is the 35th 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 29.0 percent against 19.4 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.
Musselshell County
Is Musselshell County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base15.12 percent
- Census 2020 base population4,736
- Births, 202449
- Deaths, 202442
- Natural change, 20247
- Net domestic migration, 202473
- Net international migration, 2024-3
- Total net migration, 202470
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024766
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents57th
The county has grown 15.12 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Musselshell County
Where people moving to Musselshell County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving216
- People arriving, from those returns424
- Adjusted gross income arriving$17.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$79,384
- Largest single originMusselshell County Non-migrants (1,681 households)
- Largest single destination (1,681 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Musselshell County Non-migrants | 1,681 | 3,474 | $106.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 121 | 248 | $12.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 91 | 179 | $10.8 m |
| Yellowstone County | 56 | 103 | $2.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 39 | 73 | $1.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 30 | 69 | $2.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Musselshell 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.
Musselshell County
What the Musselshell County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$513.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$467.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20249.9 percent
- GDP change over five years69.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties26th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2390th
- GDP per resident$99,753
Output grew 9.9 percent in the latest year and 69.8 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.
Musselshell County
Who employs people in Musselshell County
- Covered employment, annual average1,325
- Establishments reporting199
- Average annual pay$62,379
- Average weekly wage$1,200
- Sector 21, employment320
- Sector 21, average annual pay$138,351
- Sector 44-45, employment128
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$23,403
- Sector 23, employment60
- Sector 23, average annual pay$42,632
- Sector 81, employment60
- Sector 81, average annual pay$25,493
- Sector 42, employment43
- Sector 54, employment43
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 21 | 320 | 12 | $138,351 |
| Sector 44-45 | 128 | 11 | $23,403 |
| Sector 23 | 60 | 22 | $42,632 |
| Sector 81 | 60 | 13 | $25,493 |
| Sector 42 | 43 | 8 | $53,015 |
| Sector 54 | 43 | 24 | $52,683 |
| Sector 52 | 35 | 9 | $52,563 |
| Sector 11 | 34 | 7 | $36,870 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 320 jobs, 24.2 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.
Musselshell County
What businesses operate in Musselshell County
- Establishments, all industries118
- Employment at those establishments923
- Annual payroll$59.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.9
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.
Musselshell County
What is being built in Musselshell County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20247
- Declared construction value permitted$1.1 m
- Single family units authorised3
- Multifamily units authorised4
- Multifamily share of units57.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$157,857
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.3
Multifamily is 57.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Musselshell County
How much SBA lending happens in Musselshell County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$275,600
- Average 7(a) approval$275,600
- Median 7(a) approval$275,600
- 10th percentile approval$275,600
- 90th percentile approval$275,600
- Largest single approval$275,600
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)5
- Jobs per approval5.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term240 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer100.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter0
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals100.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other General Merchandise Stores (1)
- Most active lenderFirst State Bank of Forsyth (1)
The average approval of $275,600 sits close to the median of $275,600, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 100.0 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.
Musselshell County
Do SBA loans in Musselshell County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Musselshell County
How big is Musselshell County
- Land area1,868 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties36th of 56
- Width, east to west58.6 mi
- Height, north to south43.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land3
- Establishments per square mile0.06
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 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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 Musselshell 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 Musselshell County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population5,152
- Households2,148
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$58,920
- Median age51.3
Common questions
Musselshell County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Musselshell County, Montana?
5,152, in 2,148 households, ranking 35th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Musselshell County growing?
The population has grown 15.12 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 49 births against 42 deaths, with net migration of 70. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Musselshell County?
$58,920. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $235,000, which is 4.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,138 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Musselshell County?
118 establishments, employing 923 people with an annual payroll of $59.7 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 Musselshell County?
Average annual pay is $62,379, or $1,200 a week, across 1,325 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Musselshell County?
1 7(a) approvals totalling $275,600 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $275,600. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Musselshell County?
7 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.1 m. Multifamily was 57.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Musselshell County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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 Musselshell County come from?
The largest single origin is Musselshell County Non-migrants, with 1,681 households. Arriving households report an average income of $79,384 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 Musselshell 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 Musselshell 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.