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USDA eligibility map: Montana

About 99.9% of Montana's area is in USDA-eligible rural areas, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA Rural Development's published eligibility map, the 1st highest share among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 51 of 56 counties have no ineligible area at all. 5 Census places in Montana lie mostly inside ineligible areas, including Billings city, Missoula city, Great Falls city, Bozeman city and Helena city.

99.9%
of the area is USDA eligible (estimate)
159
square miles mapped ineligible
51 of 56
counties with no ineligible area
5
Census places mostly ineligible

Check a Montana address

USDA eligible area by county

The share of each county's area that is USDA eligible, and the places (cities, towns and census-designated places) at least half inside ineligible areas. These are estimates; check any single property with the lookup.

USDA eligible share of area and mostly ineligible places by county in Montana
countyArea eligibleMostly ineligible places
Beaverhead County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Big Horn County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Blaine County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Broadwater County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Carbon County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Carter County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cascade County99.0%Great Falls city
Chouteau County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Custer County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Daniels County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Dawson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Deer Lodge County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Fallon County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Fergus County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Flathead County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Gallatin County99.1%Bozeman city
Garfield County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Glacier County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Golden Valley County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Granite County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hill County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jefferson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Judith Basin County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lake County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lewis and Clark County99.5%Helena city
Liberty County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lincoln County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Madison County100%None: the whole county is eligible
McCone County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Meagher County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Mineral County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Missoula County98.6%Missoula city
Musselshell County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Park County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Petroleum County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Phillips County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Pondera County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Powder River County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Powell County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Prairie County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Ravalli County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Richland County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Roosevelt County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Rosebud County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sanders County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sheridan County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Silver Bow County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Stillwater County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sweet Grass County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Teton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Toole County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Treasure County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Valley County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Wheatland County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Wibaux County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Yellowstone County97.9%Billings city

How USDA decides what is rural

The rural-area definition is section 520 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490): open country and places not part of or associated with an urban area with up to 2,500 people, up to 10,000 if rural in character, or up to 20,000 outside a metropolitan statistical area with a serious lack of mortgage credit for lower and moderate-income families. Areas that lost rural status in the 1990 to 2020 censuses stay rural until 2030 census data arrive if they have 10,000 to 35,000 people and meet the same conditions. Income is a separate test, applied to the household by the lender and USDA.

For other address-level designations in Montana, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and Montana has 25 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).

Questions

Is Montana eligible for USDA loans?

Much of it is. About 99.9% of the state's area is outside USDA's ineligible areas (159 of about 146,647 square miles are ineligible). 51 counties are entirely eligible. Most people live in the larger towns, which are often ineligible, so check the specific address.

Which Montana counties have the least USDA eligible area?

Yellowstone County (97.9% eligible), Missoula County (98.6% eligible), Cascade County (99.0% eligible), Gallatin County (99.1% eligible), Lewis and Clark County (99.5% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.

Which Montana towns are not eligible for USDA loans?

Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include Billings city, Missoula city, Great Falls city, Bozeman city and Helena city. The county table on this page lists every place that is mostly ineligible. Edges matter: part of a town, or land just outside it, can be on the other side of the line, so check the address.

How do I check a Montana address for USDA eligibility?

Enter the street address in the lookup on this page. It locates the address and checks it against USDA's published rural eligibility map. It is a screening: Rural Development makes the final determination on a complete application, and household income is a separate test (USDA's income eligibility tool).

When was the USDA eligibility map for Montana last updated?

The ineligible areas on USDA's map for Montana carry an effective date of July 25, 2023. USDA updates the map from ineligible-area changes sent in by its state offices. The statute keeps formerly rural areas of 10,000 to 35,000 people rural until data from the 2030 census arrive, if they still meet its conditions.

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Legal references

Areas are computed by HeritageDeed: estimates, not USDA figures. USDA's map is not a final determination; Rural Development decides on a complete application. HeritageDeed is not affiliated with USDA.

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