Data / Rankings / Housing units authorized by building permits / Counties in Montana

Counties in Montana by housing units authorized by building permits, 2025

Gallatin County had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 45 counties in 2025, at 1,544. Valley County had the lowest, at 0. The median was 3. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest1,544Gallatin County
Lowest0Valley County
Median345 counties

All counties, 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 1,544 count1,544Yellowstone CountyYellowstone County: 997 count997Missoula CountyMissoula County: 886 count886Flathead CountyFlathead County: 830 count830Cascade CountyCascade County: 253 count253Lewis and Clark CountyLewis and Clark County: 193 count193Silver Bow CountySilver Bow County: 130 count130Powell CountyPowell County: 88 count88Lake CountyLake County: 76 count76Ravalli CountyRavalli County: 55 count55Beaverhead CountyBeaverhead County: 42 count42Carbon CountyCarbon County: 32 count32Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 27 count27Deer Lodge CountyDeer Lodge County: 22 count22Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 20 count20Chouteau CountyChouteau County: 18 count18Madison CountyMadison County: 7 count7Musselshell CountyMusselshell County: 7 count7Carter CountyCarter County: 5 count5Custer CountyCuster County: 4 count4Fallon CountyFallon County: 4 count4Broadwater CountyBroadwater County: 3 count3Mineral CountyMineral County: 3 count3Fergus CountyFergus County: 2 count2Rosebud CountyRosebud County: 2 count2Sweet Grass CountySweet Grass County: 2 count2Teton CountyTeton County: 2 count2Hill CountyHill County: 1 count1McCone CountyMcCone County: 1 count1Richland CountyRichland County: 1 count1Wibaux CountyWibaux County: 1 count1Big Horn CountyBig Horn County: 0 count0Blaine CountyBlaine County: 0 count0Daniels CountyDaniels County: 0 count0Dawson CountyDawson County: 0 count0Garfield CountyGarfield County: 0 count0Glacier CountyGlacier County: 0 count0Park CountyPark County: 0 count0Phillips CountyPhillips County: 0 count0Pondera CountyPondera County: 0 count0Roosevelt CountyRoosevelt County: 0 count0Sheridan CountySheridan County: 0 count0Stillwater CountyStillwater County: 0 count0Toole CountyToole County: 0 count0Valley CountyValley County: 0 count0
count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Full ranking

RankCounties2025
count		Change on 2024
1Gallatin County Estimated1,544-9.5%
2Yellowstone County Estimated997-32.3%
3Missoula County Estimated886+14.6%
4Flathead County Estimated830+190.2%
5Cascade County Estimated253+13.5%
6Lewis and Clark County Estimated193-56.5%
7Silver Bow County Estimated130+19.3%
8Powell County Estimated88+14.3%
9Lake County Estimated76+300%
10Ravalli County Estimated55+89.7%
11Beaverhead County Estimated42+180%
12Carbon County Estimated32-38.5%
13Lincoln County Estimated27+58.8%
14Deer Lodge County Estimated22+10%
15Jefferson County Estimated20+53.8%
16Chouteau County Estimated18-5.3%
17Madison County Estimated7-53.3%
17Musselshell County Estimated70%
19Carter County Estimated5n/a
20Custer County Estimated4+300%
20Fallon County Estimated4n/a
22Broadwater County Estimated3-72.7%
22Mineral County Estimated3-25%
24Fergus County Estimated2n/a
24Rosebud County Estimated2n/a
24Sweet Grass County Estimated2+100%
24Teton County Estimated2-71.4%
28Hill County Estimated10%
28McCone County Estimated1-50%
28Richland County Estimated1n/a
28Wibaux County Estimated10%
32Big Horn County Estimated0n/a
32Blaine County Estimated0n/a
32Daniels County Estimated0-100%
32Dawson County Estimated0n/a
32Garfield County Estimated0n/a
32Glacier County Estimated0n/a
32Park County Estimated0-100%
32Phillips County Estimated0n/a
32Pondera County Estimated0n/a
32Roosevelt County Estimated0-100%
32Sheridan County Estimated0n/a
32Stillwater County Estimated0n/a
32Toole County Estimated0n/a
32Valley County Estimated0n/a

Other periods

About this ranking

Annual number of new privately owned housing units authorized by building permits, from the US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.

Final annual county estimates include imputation for missing reports. Counts housing units, not buildings, starts, completions or sales. Covers permit-issuing areas; areas where permits are not required are outside the survey. Not seasonally adjusted or expressed as an annualized monthly rate. The total is the sum of units in the four published structure categories; inputs are retained.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual county estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/County/co2025a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

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Questions

Which county has the highest housing units authorized by building permits?

Gallatin County, with 1,544 in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest housing units authorized by building permits?

Valley County, with 0 in 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey: final annual county estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-10.

Housing units authorized by building permits: other rankings

Counties in Montana: more rankings