Market rankings · Montana
Pet businesses in Montana
Markets across Montana ranked by the Groundwork market score for pet businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 718
- 58 chain locations (8%)
- Official establishments
- 391
- +11.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $424.8M
- On pets
- Listings per 10k households
- 15.6
- 50% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $592K
- 33% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #42 of 51
- Market score 30 · Lower middle
A site report maps the pet businesses on map listings around any address in Montana by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Map listings as of September 2026 show 718 pet businesses in Montana. Of those, 58 are chain locations, or 8%, against 17% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 15.6, 50% above the U.S. rate of 10.4.
At $926 per household (2% above the U.S. average), households in Montana spend about $424.8M a year on pets. That works out to $592K per business, 33% below the U.S. figure of $878K.
In 2023, official counts showed 391 businesses with payroll in Montana classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores, up 11.7% from 2019. That is one for every 1,174 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 11.4% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 26 SBA-backed loans worth $21.1M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Montana.
Among the 50 states and DC, Montana ranks #42 for pet businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 30 (lower middle). Of the 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Montana, the Helena metro area scores highest (57). Of the 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Montana, the Butte-Silver Bow area scores highest (63).
Every market in Montana for pet businesses
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Montana, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Helena, MT | 57 | 57 | 14.6 | $676K | +7.7% | #143 of 387 |
| 2Missoula, MT | 53 | 65 | 11.9 | $797K | +4.7% | #173 of 387 |
| 3Billings, MT | 40 | 114 | 14.5 | $664K | +4.8% | #276 of 387 |
| 4Bozeman, MT | 40 | 92 | 18.0 | $607K | +7.7% | #280 of 387 |
| 5Great Falls, MT | 24 | 60 | 16.8 | $521K | +0.7% | #362 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Butte-Silver Bow, MT | 63 | 21 | 13.6 | $589K | +2.6% | #117 of 527 |
| 2Kalispell, MT | 53 | 72 | 16.3 | $578K | +10.1% | #241 of 527 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Custer County, MT | 67 | 5 | 9.9 | $873K | +1.5% | #391 of 2,200 |
| 2Lewis and Clark County, MT | 65 | 43 | 13.8 | $707K | +5.8% | #489 of 2,200 |
| 3Richland County, MT | 63 | 5 | 11.3 | $856K | −1.3% | #548 of 2,200 |
| 4Missoula County, MT | 62 | 63 | 12.0 | $793K | +4.4% | #583 of 2,200 |
| 5Silver Bow County, MT | 57 | 21 | 13.6 | $589K | +2.6% | #798 of 2,200 |
| 6Jefferson County, MT | 55 | 12 | 24.0 | $455K | +9.8% | #886 of 2,200 |
| 7Carbon County, MT | 53 | 8 | 17.2 | $568K | +9.1% | #972 of 2,200 |
| 8Yellowstone County, MT | 52 | 98 | 14.0 | $686K | +4.5% | #1,002 of 2,200 |
| 9Gallatin County, MT | 50 | 92 | 18.0 | $607K | +7.7% | #1,116 of 2,200 |
| 10Park County, MT | 50 | 18 | 21.5 | $431K | +5.7% | #1,125 of 2,200 |
| 11Flathead County, MT | 49 | 72 | 16.3 | $578K | +10.1% | #1,170 of 2,200 |
| 12Lincoln County, MT | 43 | 17 | 18.7 | $394K | +13.1% | #1,419 of 2,200 |
| 13Lake County, MT | 41 | 21 | 16.7 | $516K | +6.9% | #1,493 of 2,200 |
| 14Sanders County, MT | 39 | 13 | 23.8 | $330K | +12.9% | #1,585 of 2,200 |
| 15Cascade County, MT | 36 | 60 | 16.8 | $521K | +0.7% | #1,692 of 2,200 |
| 16Ravalli County, MT | 35 | 47 | 25.2 | $355K | +9.4% | #1,745 of 2,200 |
| 17Fergus County, MT | 34 | 8 | 15.1 | $534K | +3.1% | #1,763 of 2,200 |
| 18Glacier County, MT | 28 | 5 | 11.7 | $635K | −2.0% | #1,922 of 2,200 |
| 19Hill County, MT | 27 | 10 | 16.1 | $487K | −0.5% | #1,960 of 2,200 |
| Big Horn County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 7.8 | $980K | −2.5% | |
| Roosevelt County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 6.5 | $1.2M | −5.2% | |
| Beaverhead County, MT | Not scored | 9 | 21.4 | $384K | +7.1% | |
| Deer Lodge County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 4.5 | $1.7M | +3.0% | |
| Madison County, MT | Not scored | 6 | 16.0 | $568K | +15.8% | |
| Stillwater County, MT | Not scored | 8 | 21.0 | $492K | +5.0% |
Show all 56 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 8.3 | $1.1M | −2.6% | |
| Rosebud County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 9.8 | $835K | −0.7% | |
| Broadwater County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 7.1 | $1.3M | +23.8% | |
| Valley County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 6.8 | $1.3M | −2.4% | |
| Powell County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 16.4 | $507K | +3.1% | |
| Blaine County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 17.5 | $480K | −2.1% | |
| Teton County, MT | Not scored | 6 | 24.3 | $347K | +3.9% | |
| Pondera County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 13.2 | $591K | +3.2% | |
| Chouteau County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 18.5 | $432K | −0.8% | |
| Musselshell County, MT | Not scored | 8 | 37.2 | $214K | +17.6% | |
| Toole County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 5.4 | $1.5M | +4.9% | |
| Mineral County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 9.3 | $908K | +13.5% | |
| Phillips County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 11.3 | $714K | −0.1% | |
| Sweet Grass County, MT | Not scored | 4 | 25.8 | $351K | +2.4% | |
| Sheridan County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 6.8 | $1.3M | −2.9% | |
| Granite County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 19.8 | $418K | +10.6% | |
| Fallon County, MT | Not scored | 3 | 25.5 | $383K | −2.3% | |
| Judith Basin County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +6.8% | |
| Wheatland County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 11.3 | $679K | +1.2% | |
| Meagher County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 21.6 | $398K | +11.2% | |
| Liberty County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 13.8 | $572K | +0.1% | |
| Powder River County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 28.2 | $314K | +5.1% | |
| McCone County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 25.1 | $339K | −0.6% | |
| Daniels County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 27.2 | $284K | −2.3% | |
| Carter County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 16.7 | $444K | −1.6% | |
| Prairie County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.7% | |
| Wibaux County, MT | Not scored | 2 | 43.4 | $208K | −5.4% | |
| Garfield County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.9% | |
| Golden Valley County, MT | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.7% | |
| Treasure County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 27.8 | $297K | −4.0% | |
| Petroleum County, MT | Not scored | 1 | 45.2 | $179K | +9.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 pet businesses on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many pet businesses are in Montana?
There are 718 pet businesses on map listings in Montana as of September 2026. 58 of them (8%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 391 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 11.7% from 2019. Official counts also show 847 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Montana spend on pets?
About $424.8M a year, or $926 per household. That is 2% above the U.S. average (an index of 102, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 718 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $592K per business. It is estimated from the incomes of the 458,859 households in Montana and national spending patterns by income.
How does Montana compare with the U.S. for pet businesses?
Montana has 15.6 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 50% above the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $592K, 33% below the U.S. figure of $878K. At the national ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Montana would have about 484, against 718 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,174 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 11.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
Which market in Montana has the highest market score for pet businesses?
Among 5 scored metro areas in or partly in Montana, the Helena metro area scores highest, at 57 (upper middle). Among 2 scored small-town markets in or partly in Montana, the Butte-Silver Bow area scores highest, at 63 (upper middle). Among 19 scored counties in Montana, Custer County scores highest, at 67 (upper middle). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Montana scores 30 for pet businesses (lower middle), #42 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Montana. It maps the pet businesses on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Pet businesses in other states
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Top markets for pet businesses across the U.S. · All business types in Montana
Related business types in Montana
- Veterinarians259 listings
- Pet grooming and boarding221 listings
- Pet stores110 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Montana?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.