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Place dossier plate
SheetMT-GREAT-FALLS-MT · Great Falls, MT 60,412 pop · income 41st pct · 25 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 Great Falls
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Great Falls on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Butte-Silver… · lowest
57,633
Butte-Silver… · lowest
57,633 median HH income
52.7% of the leader · rank #1
Charlotte Park · near
63,929
Charlotte Park · near
63,929 median HH income
58.5% of the leader · rank #2
Blooming Prai… · near
63,929
Blooming Prai… · near
63,929 median HH income
58.5% of the leader · rank #3
Red Lake Falls · near
63,929
Red Lake Falls · near
63,929 median HH income
58.5% of the leader · rank #4
Belmont · near
63,929
Belmont · near
63,929 median HH income
58.5% of the leader · rank #5
Great Falls · this city
63,934
Great Falls · this city
63,934 median HH income
58.5% of the leader · rank #6
San Rafael · highest
109,317
San Rafael · highest
109,317 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 Great Falls 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: 60,412.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Great Falls - the verdict
Great Falls ranks in the 41st percentile for household income and the 7th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
41st
percentile, household income
53rd
percentile, home value
61st
percentile, median rent
7th
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: Great Falls, MT
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 60,412 residents in Great Falls, a small city within Montana. Median household income here is $63,934 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.5%. Home values in Great Falls run a median of $237,400, and the median resident age is 39.3 years. 28.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 58.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 99 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 83% from five years earlier. Great Falls's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 4000.7 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Great Falls's yearly average temperature at 44.6°F with 14.8 inches of precipitation per year and 66.1 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Montana run below the national norm: the state registers 94.6 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,336 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $175 across Montana, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 13.7 minutes, with 79.5% driving alone and 6.6% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 33.3 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Great Falls'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 work and mobility to climate and hazard context to comparison shortlist to within-city variation to reported crime to housing and income to population change to schools and households; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Great Falls, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, annual population history, commute-mode shares.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Great Falls?
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.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 79.5%. The reported mean trip to work is 13.7 minutes.
What physical conditions frame life in Great Falls?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 44.6°F, with 14.8 inches of precipitation and 66.1 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Montana is 33.3 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Which cities make useful reference points for Great Falls?
Within Montana, the closest population matches are Bozeman (55,042 residents, $79,903 income); Missoula (75,600 residents, $65,329 income); Butte-Silver Bow (34,929 residents, $57,633 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Meriden, CT (60,418 residents); Corvallis, OR (60,424 residents); Four Corners, FL (60,443 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.
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.
What can 25 Census tracts reveal inside Great Falls?
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.
PlainCities matches 25 Census tracts to this city.
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.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Great Falls?
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.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 4000.7 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 75% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
3426.4
Violent rate
574.4
Total reported rate
4000.7
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
How far does income reach against housing in Great Falls?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 7.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
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.
Household income
$63,934
Home value
$237,400
Value / income
3.7×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Is Great Falls growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -245 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -0.4% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 99 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-0.4%
2025 estimate
60,208
2020 estimate
60,453
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the education layer cover for Great Falls?
The NCES join finds 22 public schools within the city match. 28.3% 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.
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.
Matched public schools
22
Bachelor's degree+
28.3%
Poverty estimate
7.5%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Below median income · poverty 7.5% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.6 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Montana average
D
City profile score · Great Falls, MT
44/100
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 C
28.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate C-
7.5%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income D
$63,934
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime F
574 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Great Falls profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 66/100 (B-) · 94.6 index
Bachelor's+ share: 55/100 (C) · 28.3%
Poverty rate: 50/100 (C-) · 7.5%
Household income: 40/100 (D) · $63,934
Violent crime: 11/100 (F) · 574 /100k
Where Great Falls sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Great Falls'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 - Great Falls highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Great Falls, MT (this city): home $237,400, crime 4,001/100k
Meriden, CT : home $221,600, crime 1,817/100k
Corvallis, OR : home $480,600, crime 2,695/100k
Euless, TX : home $294,500, crime 2,293/100k
San Rafael, CA : home $1,246,200, crime 3,015/100k
Vineland, NJ : home $218,200, crime 3,123/100k
Bozeman, MT : home $614,900, crime 2,189/100k
Missoula, MT : home $427,400, crime 4,226/100k
Helena, MT : home $355,100, crime 3,096/100k
Kalispell, MT : home $381,400, crime 2,519/100k
Belgrade, MT : home $469,600, crime 1,494/100k
How does Great Falls compare to other US cities?
Here's how Great Falls stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income41% higher than other cities
Home value53% pricier than other cities
Median rent61% pricier than other cities
Safety7% 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, Great Falls ranks #34 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 Great Falls 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 Great Falls near the bottom of Montana's cities
Among the 317 Montana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Great Falls ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Great Falls only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#126 of 282
55th percentile in Montana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 317
0th percentile in Montana
Median Home Value
#131 of 279
53rd percentile in Montana
Poverty Rate
#140 of 315
55th percentile in Montana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#105 of 317
66th 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
41st percentile nationally for median household income · 7th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Great Falls's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Great Falls'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 Great Falls's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$237,40047th percentilemore affordable than 47% 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
Great Falls's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.7×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,760 of 15,516
More affordable than 37% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#265 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 3.7×, Great Falls sits in the moderate band:
national rank #9,760 of 15,516 and #265 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
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
$63,934Great Falls, MT median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Great Falls, 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 Great Falls, MT.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)28.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)7.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)58.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
60,412
Median Income
$63,934
Median Home Value
$237,400
Median Age
39.3
Poverty Rate
7.5%
Labor force participation
58.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
28.3%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
4000.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
574.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3426.4
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.
Climate
Avg Temperature
44.6°F
Annual Precipitation
14.8"
Annual Snowfall
66.1"
Schools
Total Schools
22
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Great Falls's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
60,453 residents
2021
60,417 residents
2022
60,457 residents
2023
60,237 residents
2024
60,090 residents
2025
60,208 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
99
housing units authorized
Single-Family
50
detached homes
Multifamily
49
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.6
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
54
42
12
$10.0M
2020
45
31
14
$7.1M
2021
97
49
48
$12.1M
2022
389
52
337
$66.6M
2023
39
39
0
$10.2M
2024
99
50
49
$22.1M
Permit volume increased 83% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
13.7 minutes
Drive Alone
79.5%
Carpool
9.8%
Public Transit
0.8%
Walk
1.3%
Work from Home
6.6%
Other
2.0%
Based on 29,150 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 Great Falls. 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 Great Falls 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 Great Falls sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Great Falls 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, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.