Richland County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Richland County, Montana has a population of 11,235 across 2,084 square miles, down 4.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.19 bn in 2024, 498 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 12 7(a) approvals worth $3.1 m.
113 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Richland County
How many people live in Richland County
- Population11,235
- Households4,422
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$73,084
- Median age38.4
- Median gross rent$917 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$263,000
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,532
- Population under 182,802
- Share under 1824.9 percent
- Population 65 and over1,963
- Share 65 and over17.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,470
- Civilian labor force6,061
- Unemployment rate3.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.9 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties19th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2404th
Richland County is the 19th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.9 percent against 17.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Richland County
Is Richland County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-4.05 percent
- Census 2020 base population11,493
- Births, 2024116
- Deaths, 2024112
- Natural change, 20244
- Net domestic migration, 2024-89
- Net international migration, 202417
- Total net migration, 2024-72
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-614
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2901st
The county has lost 4.05 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.
Richland County
Where people moving to Richland County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving270
- People arriving, from those returns492
- Adjusted gross income arriving$16.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$59,193
- Largest single originRichland County Non-migrants (4,327 households)
- Largest single destination (4,327 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County Non-migrants | 4,327 | 8,870 | $367.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 167 | 304 | $10.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 82 | 142 | $5.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 81 | 150 | $4.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 65 | 125 | $3.5 m |
| Yellowstone County | 22 | 38 | $1.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 20 | 37 | $1.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Richland 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.
Richland County
What the Richland County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.19 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.11 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.2 percent
- GDP change over five years57.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties11th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1702nd
- GDP per resident$105,727
Output grew 7.2 percent in the latest year and 57.4 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.
Richland County
Who employs people in Richland County
- Covered employment, annual average5,235
- Establishments reporting648
- Average annual pay$63,143
- Average weekly wage$1,214
- Sector 44-45, employment603
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,749
- Sector 23, employment559
- Sector 23, average annual pay$71,874
- Sector 72, employment483
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,070
- Sector 21, employment436
- Sector 21, average annual pay$105,105
- Sector 48-49, employment332
- Sector 42, employment273
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 603 | 57 | $39,749 |
| Sector 23 | 559 | 74 | $71,874 |
| Sector 72 | 483 | 40 | $21,070 |
| Sector 21 | 436 | 65 | $105,105 |
| Sector 48-49 | 332 | 46 | $108,789 |
| Sector 42 | 273 | 32 | $94,062 |
| Sector 31-33 | 220 | 19 | $48,067 |
| Sector 81 | 152 | 51 | $43,545 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 603 jobs, 11.5 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.
Richland County
What businesses operate in Richland County
- Establishments, all industries498
- Employment at those establishments4,321
- Annual payroll$255.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents44.3
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.
Richland County
What is being built in Richland County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorised0
- Multifamily units authorised0
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Richland County
How much SBA lending happens in Richland County
- 7(a) approvals recorded12
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$261,075
- Median 7(a) approval$119,100
- 10th percentile approval$26,500
- 90th percentile approval$667,500
- Largest single approval$686,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)74
- Jobs per approval6.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term62 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter12
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (3)
- Most active lenderStockman Bank of Montana (4)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.3 m
- Average 504 approval$661,500
- Median 504 approval$414,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval10.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.5
- Most active CDCBig Sky Economic Development Corporation (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals60.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$8.4 m
The average approval of $261,075 sits well above the median of $119,100, 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 0.0 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.
Richland County
Do SBA loans in Richland County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
- Status: Cancelled1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 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.
Richland County
Which parts of Richland County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- SIDNEY, approvals10
- FAIRVIEW, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| SIDNEY | 10 | $1,797,900 |
| FAIRVIEW | 2 | $1,335,000 |
SIDNEY accounts for 10 approvals against 2 in FAIRVIEW. 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.
Richland County
How big is Richland County
- Land area2,084 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties32nd of 56
- Width, east to west55.4 mi
- Height, north to south55 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land5
- Establishments per square mile0.24
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 Richland 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 Richland County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population11,235
- Households4,422
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$73,084
- Median age38.4
Common questions
Richland County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Richland County, Montana?
11,235, in 4,422 households, ranking 19th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Richland County growing?
The population has fallen 4.05 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 116 births against 112 deaths, with net migration of -72. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Richland County?
$73,084. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $263,000, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $917 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Richland County?
498 establishments, employing 4,321 people with an annual payroll of $255.3 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 Richland County?
Average annual pay is $63,143, or $1,214 a week, across 5,235 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Richland County?
12 7(a) approvals totalling $3.1 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $119,100, plus 8 504 approvals worth $5.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Richland County?
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Richland 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 Richland County come from?
The largest single origin is Richland County Non-migrants, with 4,327 households. Arriving households report an average income of $59,193 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 Richland 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 Richland 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.