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Place dossier plate
SheetMT-CUT-BANK-MT · Cut Bank, MT 3,040 pop · income 29th pct · 2 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Cut Bank
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Cut Bank on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Libby · lowest
39,261
Libby · lowest
39,261 median HH income
17.8% of the leader · rank #1
Selma · near
55,839
Selma · near
55,839 median HH income
25.4% of the leader · rank #2
Cut Bank · this city
55,848
Cut Bank · this city
55,848 median HH income
25.4% of the leader · rank #3
Lincoln · near
55,849
Lincoln · near
55,849 median HH income
25.4% of the leader · rank #4
Midway North · near
55,851
Midway North · near
55,851 median HH income
25.4% of the leader · rank #5
Baldwin · near
55,862
Baldwin · near
55,862 median HH income
25.4% of the leader · rank #6
Chappaqua · highest
220,139
Chappaqua · highest
220,139 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Cut Bank on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 3,040.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Cut Bank - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Cut Bank places in the 29th percentile for household income and the 3rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
29th
percentile, household income
31st
percentile, home value
61st
percentile, median rent
3rd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Cut Bank, MT
3,040 people live in Cut Bank, Montana - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $55,848 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 17.7%. Typical homes in Cut Bank are valued around $161,400, and the median resident age is 40.2 years. Educational attainment runs 19.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 48.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Cut Bank (No Permits), per Census BPS data. Cut Bank's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 5692.4 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Montana run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Montana scores 94.6 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,336 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Montana run around $175, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Cut Bank report an average commute of 11.8 minutes, with 76.1% driving alone and 6.0% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 33.3 out of 100 (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Cut Bank's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from within-city variation to comparison shortlist to housing and income to reported crime to population change to work and mobility to schools and households; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Cut Bank, city-specific coverage includes within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, local building permits, annual population history.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What can 2 Census tracts reveal inside Cut Bank?
PlainCities matches 2 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Cut Bank?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Montana, the closest population matches are Deer Lodge (3,035 residents, $53,676 income); Shelby (3,129 residents, $53,357 income); Libby (2,948 residents, $39,261 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Little Flock, AR (3,040 residents); Chappaqua, NY (3,040 residents); South Pittsburg, TN (3,040 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
How far does income reach against housing in Cut Bank?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.9 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 17.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Cut Bank?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 5692.4 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 150% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Cut Bank growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -74 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -2.4% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
2020 estimate
3,050
2025 estimate
2,976
Period change
-2.4%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in Cut Bank?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 76.1%. The reported mean trip to work is 11.8 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
76.1%
Work from home
6.0%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 1,044 workers age 16+.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 11 public schools within the city match. 19.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
17.7%
Bachelor's degree+
19.2%
Matched public schools
11
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Below median income · poverty 17.7% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.6 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Montana average
F
City profile score · Cut Bank, MT
29/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living B-
94.6 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share F
19.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$55,848
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
17.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
1,032 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cut Bank profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 66/100 (B-) · 94.6 index
Bachelor's+ share: 32/100 (F) · 19.2%
Household income: 28/100 (F) · $55,848
Poverty rate: 18/100 (F) · 17.7%
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 1,032 /100k
Where Cut Bank sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Cut Bank's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Cut Bank highlighted among 26 peers.Read the chart values
Cut Bank, MT (this city): home $161,400, crime 5,692/100k
Little Flock, AR : home $383,900, crime 759/100k
South Pittsburg, TN : home $160,700, crime 375/100k
Deer Lodge, MT : home $196,400, crime 1,220/100k
Libby, MT : home $218,500, crime 907/100k
Glasgow, MT : home $206,000, crime 1,606/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does Cut Bank compare to other US cities?
Cut Bank measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income29% higher than other cities
Home value31% pricier than other cities
Median rent61% pricier than other cities
Safety3% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Montana, Cut Bank ranks #38 of 39 Montana cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Cut Bank against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Montana only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Montana-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Cut Bank near the bottom of Montana's cities
Among the 317 Montana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Cut Bank ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Cut Bank only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#167 of 282
41st percentile in Montana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 317
0th percentile in Montana
Median Home Value
#204 of 279
27th percentile in Montana
Poverty Rate
#63 of 315
80th percentile in Montana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#192 of 317
39th percentile in Montana
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Montana only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
29th percentile nationally for median household income · 3rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Cut Bank's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Cut Bank's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Cut Bank's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$161,400Among the most affordablemore affordable than 69% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Cut Bank's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.9×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#6,059 of 15,516
More affordable than 61% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#5,205 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.9×, Cut Bank sits in the affordable band:
national rank #6,059 of 15,516 and #5,205 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$55,848Cut Bank, MT median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Cut Bank, MT median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Cut Bank, MT.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)19.2%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)17.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)48.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
3,040
Median Income
$55,848
Median Home Value
$161,400
Median Age
40.2
Poverty Rate
17.7%
Labor force participation
48.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
19.2%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
5692.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
1032.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
4660.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
11
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Cut Bank's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
3,050 residents
2021
3,042 residents
2022
3,017 residents
2023
3,001 residents
2024
2,990 residents
2025
2,976 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
0
0
0
-
2024
0
0
0
-
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
11.8 minutes
Drive Alone
76.1%
Carpool
12.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
5.2%
Work from Home
6.0%
Based on 1,044 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Montana statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $175
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Montana at $175 (electricity about $80 , water and sewer about $40 ).
These are Montana statewide averages, not a meter reading for Cut Bank. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Montana's BEA cost-of-living index is 94.6 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Cut Bank is $1,336/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Montana statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 33.3 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Montana statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Cut Bank sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Cut Bank compares to similar-size Montana cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.