Silver Bow County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Silver Bow County, Montana has a population of 35,785 across 718 square miles, up 2.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.22 bn in 2024, 1,208 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 12 7(a) approvals worth $5.4 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Silver Bow County
How many people live in Silver Bow County
- Population35,785
- Households15,419
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$61,754
- Median age40.5
- Median gross rent$863 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$255,200
- Home value to household income4.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over24,695
- Population under 187,227
- Share under 1820.2 percent
- Population 65 and over6,972
- Share 65 and over19.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,586
- Civilian labor force17,630
- Unemployment rate4.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.7 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties8th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1323rd
Silver Bow County is the 8th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 4.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.2 percent against 19.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Silver Bow County
Is Silver Bow County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.86 percent
- Census 2020 base population35,130
- Births, 2024304
- Deaths, 2024488
- Natural change, 2024-184
- Net domestic migration, 202494
- Net international migration, 202430
- Total net migration, 2024124
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,464
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents907th
The county has grown 2.86 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.
Silver Bow County
Where people moving to Silver Bow County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,033
- People arriving, from those returns1,738
- Adjusted gross income arriving$61.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$59,403
- Largest single originSilver Bow County Non-migrants (13,631 households)
- Largest single destination (13,631 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Bow County Non-migrants | 13,631 | 25,570 | $991.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 509 | 883 | $37.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 333 | 582 | $24.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 109 | 188 | $4.7 m |
| Gallatin County | 84 | 137 | $5.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 83 | 142 | $5.0 m |
| Missoula County | 72 | 94 | $2.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 70 | 126 | $6.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Silver Bow 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.
Silver Bow County
What the Silver Bow County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.22 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.15 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.0 percent
- GDP change over five years37.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties7th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1194th
- GDP per resident$61,929
Output grew 3.0 percent in the latest year and 37.7 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.
Silver Bow County
Who employs people in Silver Bow County
- Covered employment, annual average16,507
- Establishments reporting1,484
- Average annual pay$55,167
- Average weekly wage$1,061
- Sector 62, employment2,851
- Sector 62, average annual pay$56,272
- Sector 72, employment2,310
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,580
- Sector 44-45, employment1,913
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$42,510
- Sector 31-33, employment727
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$72,969
- Sector 48-49, employment670
- Sector 23, employment606
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 2,851 | 194 | $56,272 |
| Sector 72 | 2,310 | 140 | $22,580 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,913 | 140 | $42,510 |
| Sector 31-33 | 727 | 44 | $72,969 |
| Sector 48-49 | 670 | 42 | $70,918 |
| Sector 23 | 606 | 124 | $62,683 |
| Sector 21 | 506 | 8 | $99,710 |
| Sector 81 | 499 | 105 | $36,892 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,851 jobs, 17.3 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.
Silver Bow County
What businesses operate in Silver Bow County
- Establishments, all industries1,208
- Employment at those establishments13,583
- Annual payroll$678.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents33.8
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.
Silver Bow County
What is being built in Silver Bow County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024109
- Declared construction value permitted$9.9 m
- Single family units authorised65
- Multifamily units authorised44
- Multifamily share of units40.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$90,675
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.1
Multifamily is 40.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Silver Bow County
How much SBA lending happens in Silver Bow County
- 7(a) approvals recorded12
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$453,617
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$10,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,770,000
- Largest single approval$2,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)86
- Jobs per approval7.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active12
- Distinct industries receiving approvals12
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals16.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLessors of Miniwarehouses and Self-Storage Units (1)
- Most active lenderMountain America FCU (1)
- 504 approvals recorded11
- 504 gross approval dollars$9.7 m
- Average 504 approval$877,727
- Median 504 approval$510,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval12.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.3
- Most active CDCBig Sky Economic Development Corporation (4)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals52.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$15.1 m
The average approval of $453,617 sits well above the median of $150,000, 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. Only 25.0 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.
Silver Bow County
Do SBA loans in Silver Bow County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure8
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 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.
Silver Bow County
Which parts of Silver Bow County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- BUTTE, approvals11
- Bozeman, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BUTTE | 11 | $5,093,400 |
| Bozeman | 1 | $350,000 |
BUTTE accounts for 11 approvals against 1 in Bozeman. 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.
Silver Bow County
How big is Silver Bow County
- Land area718 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties56th of 56
- Width, east to west43.1 mi
- Height, north to south38.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land50
- Establishments per square mile1.68
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 Silver Bow 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 Silver Bow County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population35,785
- Households15,419
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$61,754
- Median age40.5
Common questions
Silver Bow County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Silver Bow County, Montana?
35,785, in 15,419 households, ranking 8th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Silver Bow County growing?
The population has grown 2.86 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 304 births against 488 deaths, with net migration of 124. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Silver Bow County?
$61,754. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $255,200, which is 4.1 times income, and median gross rent is $863 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Silver Bow County?
1,208 establishments, employing 13,583 people with an annual payroll of $678.1 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 Silver Bow County?
Average annual pay is $55,167, or $1,061 a week, across 16,507 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Silver Bow County?
12 7(a) approvals totalling $5.4 m since FY2020, across 12 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 11 504 approvals worth $9.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Silver Bow County?
109 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.9 m. Multifamily was 40.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Silver Bow 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 Silver Bow County come from?
The largest single origin is Silver Bow County Non-migrants, with 13,631 households. Arriving households report an average income of $59,403 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 Silver Bow 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 Silver Bow 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.