Sweet Grass County, Montana: commercial real estate data.
Sweet Grass County, Montana has a population of 3,720 across 1,855 square miles, up 2.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $314.8 m in 2024, 187 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $4.9 m.
111 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Sweet Grass County
How many people live in Sweet Grass County
- Population3,720
- Households1,552
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$77,000
- Median age47.0
- Median gross rent$1,149 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$330,100
- Home value to household income4.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over2,700
- Population under 18746
- Share under 1820.1 percent
- Population 65 and over959
- Share 65 and over25.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 642,015
- Civilian labor force1,986
- Unemployment rate1.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.8 percent
- Rank by population among Montana counties39th of 56
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2984th
Sweet Grass County is the 39th largest of 56 Montana counties by population. A median home costs 4.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.8 percent against 20.1 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.
Sweet Grass County
Is Sweet Grass County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.18 percent
- Census 2020 base population3,677
- Births, 202425
- Deaths, 202445
- Natural change, 2024-20
- Net domestic migration, 202427
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 202427
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024190
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1111th
The county has grown 2.18 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.
Sweet Grass County
Where people moving to Sweet Grass County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving120
- People arriving, from those returns241
- Adjusted gross income arriving$9.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$82,117
- Largest single originSweet Grass County Non-migrants (1,368 households)
- Largest single destination (1,368 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Grass County Non-migrants | 1,368 | 2,825 | $111.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 65 | 129 | $4.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 55 | 112 | $5.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 34 | 63 | $4.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 21 | 49 | $1.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Sweet Grass 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.
Sweet Grass County
What the Sweet Grass County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$314.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$299.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.1 percent
- GDP change over five years10.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Montana counties33rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2676th
- GDP per resident$84,633
Output grew 5.1 percent in the latest year and 10.6 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.
Sweet Grass County
Who employs people in Sweet Grass County
- Covered employment, annual average1,629
- Establishments reporting273
- Average annual pay$68,954
- Average weekly wage$1,326
- Sector 44-45, employment144
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,555
- Sector 72, employment144
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,298
- Sector 23, employment115
- Sector 23, average annual pay$47,866
- Sector 31-33, employment78
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$41,860
- Sector 81, employment64
- Sector 52, employment57
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 144 | 24 | $35,555 |
| Sector 72 | 144 | 16 | $23,298 |
| Sector 23 | 115 | 42 | $47,866 |
| Sector 31-33 | 78 | 10 | $41,860 |
| Sector 81 | 64 | 27 | $29,179 |
| Sector 52 | 57 | 9 | $68,417 |
| Sector 71 | 37 | 10 | $41,240 |
| Sector 54 | 36 | 26 | $65,172 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 144 jobs, 8.8 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.
Sweet Grass County
What businesses operate in Sweet Grass County
- Establishments, all industries187
- Employment at those establishments1,361
- Annual payroll$90.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents50.3
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.
Sweet Grass County
What is being built in Sweet Grass County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241
- Declared construction value permitted$416,234
- Single family units authorised1
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$416,234
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.6
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Sweet Grass County
How much SBA lending happens in Sweet Grass County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,642,333
- Median 7(a) approval$70,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$4,842,000
- Largest single approval$4,842,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)8
- Jobs per approval2.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countRV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (1)
- Most active lenderStone Bank (1)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$526,000
- Average 504 approval$175,333
- Median 504 approval$189,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval5.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved28.5
- Most active CDCBig Sky Economic Development Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals50.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$5.5 m
The average approval of $1,642,333 sits well above the median of $70,000, 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. 33.3 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.
Sweet Grass County
Do SBA loans in Sweet Grass County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
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.
Sweet Grass County
How big is Sweet Grass County
- Land area1,855 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Montana counties37th of 56
- Width, east to west42.3 mi
- Height, north to south72.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land2
- Establishments per square mile0.10
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 Sweet Grass 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 Sweet Grass County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population3,720
- Households1,552
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$77,000
- Median age47.0
Common questions
Sweet Grass County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Sweet Grass County, Montana?
3,720, in 1,552 households, ranking 39th of 56 Montana counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Sweet Grass County growing?
The population has grown 2.18 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 25 births against 45 deaths, with net migration of 27. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Sweet Grass County?
$77,000. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $330,100, which is 4.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,149 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Sweet Grass County?
187 establishments, employing 1,361 people with an annual payroll of $90.4 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 Sweet Grass County?
Average annual pay is $68,954, or $1,326 a week, across 1,629 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Sweet Grass County?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $4.9 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $70,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $526,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Sweet Grass County?
1 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $416,234. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Sweet Grass 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 Sweet Grass County come from?
The largest single origin is Sweet Grass County Non-migrants, with 1,368 households. Arriving households report an average income of $82,117 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 Sweet Grass 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 Sweet Grass 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.