Sanders County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Sanders County, Montana has a population of 13,285 across 2,761 square miles, up 12.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $552.2 m in 2024, 394 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 13 7(a) approvals worth $3.6 m.
112 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Sanders County
How many people live in Sanders County
- Population13,285
- Households5,451
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$57,476
- Median age54.6
- Median gross rent$820 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$359,000
- Home value to household income6.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over10,073
- Population under 182,265
- Share under 1817.0 percent
- Population 65 and over4,384
- Share 65 and over33.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,636
- Civilian labor force4,756
- Unemployment rate6.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over43.2 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties14th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2269th
Sanders County is the 14th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 6.2 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 33.0 percent against 17.0 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.
Sanders County
Is Sanders County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base12.06 percent
- Census 2020 base population12,400
- Births, 2024126
- Deaths, 2024180
- Natural change, 2024-54
- Net domestic migration, 2024222
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 2024223
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,779
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents109th
The county has grown 12.06 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.
Sanders County
Where people moving to Sanders County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving535
- People arriving, from those returns1,054
- Adjusted gross income arriving$48.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$91,054
- Largest single originSanders County Non-migrants (4,580 households)
- Largest single destination (4,580 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanders County Non-migrants | 4,580 | 9,228 | $298.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 360 | 699 | $37.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 284 | 548 | $33.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 69 | 164 | $5.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 46 | 82 | $2.8 m |
| Missoula County | 45 | 87 | $2.6 m |
| Flathead County | 36 | 61 | $2.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 30 | 69 | $2.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Sanders 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.
Sanders County
What the Sanders County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$552.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$530.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.1 percent
- GDP change over five years40.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties22nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2344th
- GDP per resident$41,563
Output grew 4.1 percent in the latest year and 40.2 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.
Sanders County
Who employs people in Sanders County
- Covered employment, annual average3,306
- Establishments reporting574
- Average annual pay$45,909
- Average weekly wage$883
- Sector 44-45, employment475
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$29,725
- Sector 72, employment475
- Sector 72, average annual pay$25,948
- Sector 31-33, employment273
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$54,926
- Sector 23, employment203
- Sector 23, average annual pay$61,313
- Sector 54, employment102
- Sector 81, employment100
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 475 | 58 | $29,725 |
| Sector 72 | 475 | 48 | $25,948 |
| Sector 31-33 | 273 | 31 | $54,926 |
| Sector 23 | 203 | 88 | $61,313 |
| Sector 54 | 102 | 68 | $79,613 |
| Sector 81 | 100 | 34 | $32,723 |
| Sector 52 | 78 | 15 | $50,868 |
| Sector 11 | 63 | 18 | $42,093 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 475 jobs, 14.4 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.
Sanders County
What businesses operate in Sanders County
- Establishments, all industries394
- Employment at those establishments2,585
- Annual payroll$99.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents29.7
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.
Sanders County
How much SBA lending happens in Sanders County
- 7(a) approvals recorded13
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$275,285
- Median 7(a) approval$110,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$886,000
- Largest single approval$886,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)56
- Jobs per approval4.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals10
- Median 7(a) term60 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer30.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter9
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (2)
- Most active lenderValley Bank of Ronan (7)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$846,000
- Average 504 approval$846,000
- Median 504 approval$846,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval11.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.0
- Most active CDCCapital Matrix, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals92.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$4.4 m
The average approval of $275,285 sits well above the median of $110,000, 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. 30.8 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.
Sanders County
Do SBA loans in Sanders County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
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.
Sanders County
Which parts of Sanders County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- DIXON, approvals5
- Plains, approvals4
- HOT SPRINGS, approvals2
- Thompson Falls, approvals1
- LONEPINE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| DIXON | 5 | $623,400 |
| Plains | 4 | $2,168,300 |
| HOT SPRINGS | 2 | $35,000 |
| Thompson Falls | 1 | $617,000 |
| LONEPINE | 1 | $135,000 |
DIXON accounts for 5 approvals against 4 in Plains. 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.
Sanders County
How big is Sanders County
- Land area2,761 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties20th of 56
- Width, east to west86.7 mi
- Height, north to south78.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land5
- Establishments per square mile0.14
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.
- The Building Permits Survey does not carry a 2024 record for this county.
- 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 Sanders 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 Sanders County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population13,285
- Households5,451
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$57,476
- Median age54.6
Common questions
Sanders County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Sanders County, Montana?
13,285, in 5,451 households, ranking 14th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Sanders County growing?
The population has grown 12.06 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 126 births against 180 deaths, with net migration of 223. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Sanders County?
$57,476. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $359,000, which is 6.2 times income, and median gross rent is $820 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Sanders County?
394 establishments, employing 2,585 people with an annual payroll of $99.7 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 Sanders County?
Average annual pay is $45,909, or $883 a week, across 3,306 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Sanders County?
13 7(a) approvals totalling $3.6 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $110,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $846,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is the radon zone for Sanders 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 Sanders County come from?
The largest single origin is Sanders County Non-migrants, with 4,580 households. Arriving households report an average income of $91,054 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 Sanders 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 Sanders 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.