Buying a Business in Montana
The Numbers
FY2025 Acquisition Loans
40
$42.0M approved
Median Loan
$475k
FY2020 through FY2025
Loans Since FY2020
221
$186M in total approvals
Share of U.S. Activity
0.6%
Of change-of-ownership loans
What the Data Says
Montana ranks 39th of 53 states and territories for change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) lending: 221 loans since FY2020, 0.6% of the national total.
The typical deal runs small: its $475k median loan sits below the $650k midpoint across states, within reach on less equity.
Activity is steady, near the state's ~37 a year pace since FY2020.
The most-financed target is hotels (except casino hotels) and motels (12 loans), and the 5 most active lenders wrote about 38% of the state's acquisitions, a broad lender field.
Most Active Acquisition Lenders in Montana
- 1. Glacier Bank28 loans
- 2. First Interstate Bank19 loans
- 3. The Yellowstone Bank16 loans
- 4. Live Oak Banking Company12 loans
- 5. Three Rivers Bank of Montana9 loans
A lender being active in Montana does not require a local branch; several top SBA lenders work nationally. Build a shortlist with Lenders.
What Gets Bought in Montana
- Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels12 loans
- Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores11 loans
- Limited-Service Restaurants10 loans
- Full-Service Restaurants8 loans
- All Other Specialty Trade Contractors8 loans
Industry-specific pricing and diligence live in the Guides. How many buyable businesses Montana holds in each trade is in Where the Businesses Are.
Method & Source
Computed from the SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (FY2020 through FY2025), filtered to approvals flagged change of ownership with a Montana project address. Approvals, not closings; excludes conventional and 504 financing.