Cost of living in Columbia Falls, MT — Housing, Rent & Index

Housing, rent, and a comparison to the US average.

$604,818
Median home value
/mo
Median rent
170
Cost index (US=100)
-0.2%
Home YoY change

The median home value in Columbia Falls, MT is $604,818 as of 2026-04. That places Columbia Falls above the US average for housing cost, with a cost index of approximately 170 versus a national baseline of 100.

Over the past 12 months, the median home value in Columbia Falls has moved sideways, and over the past five years it has averaged +7.7% annual growth. The current price sits -2.6% from its 5-year peak in 2022-07.

Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in Columbia Falls are shaped by state and local taxes, utility rates, transportation, and groceries. This page focuses on the housing component, which is the largest single line in most household budgets and the easiest to compare across cities using consistent national data.

Housing

Median home value$604,818
1-year change-0.2%
5-year CAGR+7.7%
10-year CAGR+9.2%
vs 5-year peak-2.6%

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).

How Columbia Falls compares

Cost index170 (above US)
Median home vs US (~$355k)+70.4%
Population5,713
Momentum score71 (Rising)

Cost index is currently a housing-only proxy; full BLS basket coming with ACS pull.

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.