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Hill County, MT: population growth, jobs and income

Hill County gained 52 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.3%).

Hill County had an estimated 16,167 residents in 2025, down 0.5% (81 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Montana as a whole (+5.3%), and the 37th fastest growth of 52 counties in Montana.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Hill County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Hill County, ranked against Montana and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$776/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes14.2%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months22025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

New homes permitted

1

2025

0.1 per 1,000 residents

Small base: the change swings on a few homes or people, so we don't show it.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 1 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 5,092 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +1.2% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 3.2% in 2025, 0.8 points lower than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 1 new homes in 2025, or 0.1 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $52,798 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +3.7% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,047th.

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Hill County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202516,167+52
202416,115−79
202316,194+128
202216,066−129
202116,195−53
202016,248–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Hill County

Hill County lost 81 people since 2020; the biggest drag was domestic migration (−278).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths+58+204
International migrationfrom and to other countries−7−12
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−1−278
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+2+5
Total change+52−81

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn MontanaAmong U.S. counties
Population growth37th of 522,047th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents37th of 521,927th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth34th of 521,694th of 3,092
Median household income46th of 522,582nd of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate26th of 52595th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents30th of 442,744th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for Hill County, MT as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

Add 2 neighbouring counties for $50: the Blaine County and Chouteau County reports too, $149 for all 3.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Hill County's population change (−0.5%) was ahead of 2 of its 3 neighbouring counties and behind 1 (Liberty County).

Its median household income ($52,798, 2020–24) is lower than in all 3 of its neighbouring counties.

Hill County, MT and its 3 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Hill County, MT This county16,167−0.5%−0.10.1$52,798
Chouteau County, MT5,865−0.8%6.13.1$58,218
Liberty County, MT1,957+0.1%1.5–$57,857
Blaine County, MT6,860−2.1%−2.80.0$64,813

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 56 Montana counties · Every state

Questions

Is Hill County growing?

No. Its population fell 0.5% between 2020 and 2025, about 81 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Montana as a whole changed +5.3% over the same years. That ranks 37th of 52 counties in Montana for population growth.

How many people moved to Hill County?

On net, none in 2025: about 1 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Hill County?

It averaged 3.2% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Hill County?

About 16,167 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Hill County?

Private employers there had 5,092 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +1.2% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Montana

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Montana county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Hill County data alerts

Email me when Hill County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Hill County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.