What it's like to live in Great Falls
Great Falls is a smaller city in Montana with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Great Falls deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, hospital ratings below the national average, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Below-average hospital ratings
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 66" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Great Falls compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Great Falls
Based on Great Falls's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,800
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,000 a year
- 44% of Great Falls renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$51,400
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,700
- Homes cost 4.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 36% below US
$900/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $900 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $257,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $257,000 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 23% below US
3.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.3%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 92% above US
631 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 3669/100k · Great Falls Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 43% below US
15 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 14.9 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 2.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 23% below US
28% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 28%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
21 public schools inside the boundary
There are 21 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Bottom line
Great Falls's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($900/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Great Falls
All Montana guides →Moving to Belgrade →
119 mi away · pop. 11,872
Rent $1,877/mo · Income $97,328
Compare with Great Falls →Moving to Bozeman →
126 mi away · pop. 56,114
Rent $1,717/mo · Income $85,747
Compare with Great Falls →Moving to Butte-Silver Bow →
127 mi away · pop. 35,052
Rent $856/mo · Income $61,857
Compare with Great Falls →Not sure Great Falls is the one?
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