Great Falls, MT — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Montana·Great Falls

Cascade County · Great Falls · population 60,013

Investors
Great Falls, MT
Image: Wikipedia · Great Falls, Montana
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
74
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Great Falls stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.0% in the last year. averaging 8.7% annual growth over 5 years. rents up 6.2% in the last year.

Median home $337,690
1-year +4.0%
5-yr CAGR +8.7%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$338k$158k$222k$287k$351k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
87/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,341/mo$842$1,132$1,422202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent152150100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 21.0
Lean rent

At a 21.0 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Great Falls. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
70 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
82 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
42 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
75 · w10%
Long thesis

Great Falls has averaged 8.7% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+4.0% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Great Falls's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Great Falls

Great Falls is a city in Cascade County, Montana, with an estimated population of 60,013. The median home value in Great Falls is $337,690 as of 2026-04, up 4.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +8.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Great Falls average $1,341 per month, up 6.2% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 74 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 8.7% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.
●Quiet strength: +4.0% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 6.2% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Great Falls (Wikipedia)

Great Falls is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Cascade County. The population was 60,442 according to the 2020 census. The city covers an area of 22.9 square miles (59 km2) and is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County. The Great Falls MSA's population was 84,414 according to the 2020 census.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorCory Reeves
Area23.59 sq mi
Elevation3333 ft
Founded1888
Density2615.07/sq mi
Named forGreat Falls of the Missouri River unit_pref = Imperial

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Cascade County right now.

NWS active alerts (MT)Montana Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Cascade County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Great Falls

Miles City, MT71 · RisingHelena, MT75 · RisingBillings, MT69 · RisingLewistown, MT82 · Hot

Run the numbers for Great Falls

ToolCan I afford Great Falls?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Great Falls rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Great Falls to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolGreat Falls cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

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

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
33° / 14°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
84° / 53°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
196
~54% of year
Annual precip
15″ rain
48″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Moderate
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Great Falls listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Great Falls area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
60%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$70,800
Montana state median
Top industries (state-level)
TourismMiningAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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