Population 14,273 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Columbia Falls
Household size in Columbia Falls
| Period | Columbia Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.59 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.59 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.59 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.57 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Columbia Falls run a little small, averaging 2.57 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Even so, the typical household here is bigger than in Montana as a whole, where it has 2.44 people.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Columbia Falls
| Period | Columbia Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.1 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.7 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.0 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.0 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.0 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Columbia Falls are younger than 40.0 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in Montana overall, where the median age is 41.5. The median age has dropped from 41.1 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Columbia Falls
| Period | Columbia Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in seven households in Columbia Falls (13.5%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 2.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Columbia Falls has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Montana cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Columbia Falls
Renters in Columbia Falls
| Period | Columbia Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.3% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.6% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.4% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.9% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Columbia Falls rent their homes (28.9%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About a third of owners (33.7%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the north. The renter share has risen 5.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Columbia Falls
| Period | Columbia Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.5% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Columbia Falls: 12.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Columbia Falls
| Period | Columbia Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +7 | +6 |
Columbia Falls has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1989, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1982 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Columbia Falls
| Period | Columbia Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $913 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $844 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $911 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,136 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$223 | +$487 | +$606 |
Rent in Columbia Falls runs $1,136 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $223 a month from 2006–10, a 24% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 24.9% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the west and lowest in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Columbia Falls
Bachelor's degrees in Columbia Falls
| Period | Columbia Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.4% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.0% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.8% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.8% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.4 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a third of adults 25 and older in Columbia Falls (34.8%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 11.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Columbia Falls
| Period | Columbia Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.4% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.2% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.1% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.4% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Columbia Falls is above the national rate: 93.4% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Montana. The share with a diploma is up 3.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Columbia Falls
| Period | Columbia Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.9% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.7% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Columbia Falls runs below the national rate: 4.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Still, the rate is higher than in Montana as a whole (3.7%). Unemployment is up 0.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Columbia Falls compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Falls | 2.57 | 40.0 | 13.5% | 28.9% | 12.5% | 1989 | $1,136 | 34.8% | 93.4% | 4.5% |
| Halfmoon | 2.36 | 53.9 | 4.2% | 14.7% | 18.2% | 1992 | $1,931 | 46.9% | 96.9% | 3.5% |
| La Salle | 2.66 | 42.0 | 11.8% | 26.5% | 21.7% | 1994 | $1,213 | 32.8% | 95.9% | 22.6% |
| Hungry Horse | 2.46 | 45.9 | 8.7% | 11.0% | 37.1% | 1989 | $1,162 | 30.0% | 92.7% | 2.1% |
| Whitefish | 2.17 | 48.4 | 4.7% | 28.0% | 17.9% | 1990 | $1,972 | 51.3% | 97.4% | 2.3% |
| Martin City | 2.36 | 49.2 | 9.4% | 11.8% | 45.7% | 1986 | $1,142 | 30.3% | 91.1% | 2.3% |
| Coram | 2.42 | 48.9 | 9.8% | 10.6% | 43.9% | 1989 | $1,154 | 29.4% | 92.2% | 6.7% |
| Evergreen | 2.84 | 40.5 | 10.2% | 25.3% | 1.8% | 1987 | $1,233 | 23.5% | 91.7% | 3.7% |
| Northridge Heights | 2.64 | 44.6 | 4.6% | 13.7% | 9.1% | 2001 | $1,137 | 46.3% | 97.0% | 1.6% |
| Kalispell | 2.58 | 40.9 | 7.9% | 31.9% | 5.9% | 1988 | $1,376 | 34.7% | 96.3% | 2.8% |
| West Glacier | 2.39 | 48.5 | 8.4% | 15.8% | 49.7% | 1986 | $1,040 | 29.4% | 92.2% | 2.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Clayton, OH · Covington, TN · Coto Laurel, PR · Cortland, OH · Corona Del Mar, CA · Coopersburg, PA · Connellsville, PA · Conneaut, OH · Columbia, MS · Columbia, KY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Columbia Falls. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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