Great Falls, MT
Census place 3032800 · pop 60,329
Named for the Great Falls of the Missouri River and home to the C.M. Russell Museum of Western art.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
3451 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
574 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
15.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$63,373 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
14.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
46 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
90.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
35.8% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
27.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.0% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+2.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.92% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$257,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
24.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
66.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,396/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.9% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
56/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
15 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Frequently asked
- Is Great Falls, MT a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Great Falls scores 49/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is commute time and its weakest is property crime rate. Montana overall ranks #15 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Great Falls, MT?
- Great Falls reports 574 violent crimes per 100k and 3451 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Great Falls, MT expensive to live in?
- Great Falls has a median home value of $257,000 and typical rent around $1,396/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Great Falls, MT?
- Its weakest measured area is property crime rate (3451/100k) — 8/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Great Falls, MT best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (15 min) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Named for the Great Falls of the Missouri River and home to the C.M. Russell Museum of Western art.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.