Rosebud County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Rosebud County, Montana has a population of 8,165 across 5,010 square miles, down 1.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.08 bn in 2024, 178 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $2.9 m.
113 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Rosebud County
How many people live in Rosebud County
- Population8,165
- Households3,070
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$49,914
- Median age38.0
- Median gross rent$672 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$182,400
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over5,195
- Population under 182,308
- Share under 1828.3 percent
- Population 65 and over1,433
- Share 65 and over17.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,424
- Civilian labor force3,568
- Unemployment rate10.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.9 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties27th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2639th
Rosebud County is the 27th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 28.3 percent against 17.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Rosebud County
Is Rosebud County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.64 percent
- Census 2020 base population8,331
- Births, 2024119
- Deaths, 2024104
- Natural change, 202415
- Net domestic migration, 202436
- Net international migration, 202420
- Total net migration, 202456
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-149
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2404th
The county has lost 1.64 percent of its population 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.
Rosebud County
Where people moving to Rosebud County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving187
- People arriving, from those returns376
- Adjusted gross income arriving$10.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$54,802
- Largest single originRosebud County Non-migrants (2,841 households)
- Largest single destination (2,841 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosebud County Non-migrants | 2,841 | 6,375 | $194.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 81 | 179 | $5.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 78 | 139 | $3.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 56 | 112 | $3.8 m |
| Yellowstone County | 28 | 58 | $1.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 25 | 67 | $1.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Rosebud 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.
Rosebud County
What the Rosebud County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.08 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.08 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.1 percent
- GDP change over five years46.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties12th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1784th
- GDP per resident$131,981
Output grew 0.1 percent in the latest year and 46.2 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.
Rosebud County
Who employs people in Rosebud County
- Covered employment, annual average3,607
- Establishments reporting263
- Average annual pay$63,780
- Average weekly wage$1,227
- Sector 22, employment319
- Sector 22, average annual pay$126,970
- Sector 44-45, employment209
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$24,799
- Sector 72, employment166
- Sector 72, average annual pay$15,609
- Sector 81, employment82
- Sector 81, average annual pay$45,220
- Sector 56, employment68
- Sector 71, employment46
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 22 | 319 | 6 | $126,970 |
| Sector 44-45 | 209 | 20 | $24,799 |
| Sector 72 | 166 | 24 | $15,609 |
| Sector 81 | 82 | 24 | $45,220 |
| Sector 56 | 68 | 15 | $42,346 |
| Sector 71 | 46 | 9 | $25,821 |
| Sector 52 | 43 | 10 | $51,726 |
| Sector 54 | 29 | 20 | $79,691 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 319 jobs, 8.8 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.
Rosebud County
What businesses operate in Rosebud County
- Establishments, all industries178
- Employment at those establishments2,214
- Annual payroll$138.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.8
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.
Rosebud County
What is being built in Rosebud 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.
Rosebud County
How much SBA lending happens in Rosebud County
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$486,100
- Median 7(a) approval$345,000
- 10th percentile approval$120,000
- 90th percentile approval$990,000
- Largest single approval$990,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)27
- Jobs per approval4.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term240 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer66.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (2)
- Most active lenderFirst State Bank of Forsyth (2)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$484,000
- Average 504 approval$484,000
- Median 504 approval$484,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval7.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.5
- Most active CDCBig Sky Economic Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.4 m
The average approval of $486,100 sits well above the median of $345,000, 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. 66.7 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.
Rosebud County
Do SBA loans in Rosebud County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Cancelled1
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.
Rosebud County
Which parts of Rosebud County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- FORSYTH, approvals4
- Ashland, approvals1
- Lame Deer, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| FORSYTH | 4 | $2,596,600 |
| Ashland | 1 | $120,000 |
| Lame Deer | 1 | $200,000 |
FORSYTH accounts for 4 approvals against 1 in Ashland. 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.
Rosebud County
How big is Rosebud County
- Land area5,010 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties4th of 56
- Width, east to west86.4 mi
- Height, north to south116.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land2
- Establishments per square mile0.04
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 Rosebud 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 Rosebud County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population8,165
- Households3,070
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$49,914
- Median age38.0
Common questions
Rosebud County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rosebud County, Montana?
8,165, in 3,070 households, ranking 27th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rosebud County growing?
The population has fallen 1.64 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 119 births against 104 deaths, with net migration of 56. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rosebud County?
$49,914. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $182,400, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $672 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Rosebud County?
178 establishments, employing 2,214 people with an annual payroll of $138.2 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 Rosebud County?
Average annual pay is $63,780, or $1,227 a week, across 3,607 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Rosebud County?
6 7(a) approvals totalling $2.9 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $345,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $484,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Rosebud 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 Rosebud 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 Rosebud County come from?
The largest single origin is Rosebud County Non-migrants, with 2,841 households. Arriving households report an average income of $54,802 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 Rosebud 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 Rosebud 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.