Population 69,488 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Great Falls
Household size in Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.40 | 2.41 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.38 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.34 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.36 | 2.44 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Great Falls are small: just 2.36 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.40, in line with the national trend.
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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.9 | 39.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.9 | 40.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.9 | 41.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.6 | 41.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.7 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
At 39.6, the median age in Great Falls is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is younger than in Montana overall, where the median age is 41.5. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 38.9, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 9.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Great Falls as they are nationally: 11.1%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Montana overall (8.8%). The single-parent share is up 0.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Great Falls
Renters in Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.7% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.8% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.4% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.5% | 30.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Great Falls is about as common as it is nationally: 33.5% of households rent, against 34.8%. Just over four in ten owners (41.4%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 2.1 points, even as the national share rose.
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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 14.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 12.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Great Falls as nationally: 8.8%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in Montana overall (12.2%). Vacancy is down 0.7 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1969 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Great Falls is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1969, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1965 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, 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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $652 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $781 | $775 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $819 | $870 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,111 | $1,189 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$459 | +$487 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Great Falls costs $1,111 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $459 a month from 2006–10, a 70% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 27.7% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Great Falls
Bachelor's degrees in Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.2% | 28.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.4% | 29.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.6% | 32.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.3% | 35.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Great Falls than nationally: 28.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.1 points, as it has nationally.
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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.2% | 91.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.5% | 92.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.7% | 93.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.9% | 94.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Great Falls: 94.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Montana as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma has risen 3.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Montana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 5.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 4.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Great Falls runs below the national rate: 3.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.1 points, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
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).
Great 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls | 2.36 | 39.6 | 11.1% | 33.5% | 8.8% | 1969 | $1,111 | 28.3% | 94.9% | 3.6% |
| Gibson Flats | 1.86 | 38.9 | 23.2% | 71.5% | 5.2% | 1995 | $892 | 28.4% | 98.7% | 0.9% |
| Malmstrom Air Force Base | 2.64 | 37.6 | 6.3% | 35.1% | 11.5% | 1994 | $1,095 | 35.7% | 95.6% | 1.1% |
| Black Eagle | 2.46 | 45.0 | 8.1% | 13.3% | 13.6% | 1981 | $1,284 | 28.3% | 91.9% | 0.8% |
| Tracy | 2.58 | 46.7 | 9.9% | 10.7% | 33.2% | 1977 | $760 | 31.5% | 94.1% | 0.6% |
| Sand Coulee | 2.24 | 44.3 | 3.8% | 22.9% | 16.1% | 1980 | $837 | 32.9% | 95.2% | 0.2% |
| Portage | 2.66 | 44.8 | 2.6% | 17.0% | 15.9% | 1981 | $1,027 | 24.5% | 93.1% | 1.1% |
| Ulm | 2.91 | 38.3 | 4.3% | 4.0% | 19.9% | 1985 | $1,181 | 23.5% | 90.1% | 1.5% |
| Castner Falls | 2.49 | 47.7 | 8.6% | 15.7% | 41.8% | 1981 | $811 | 38.4% | 92.2% | 1.5% |
| Vaughn | 2.44 | 45.6 | 5.7% | 9.1% | 11.2% | 1976 | $971 | 15.8% | 93.5% | 1.4% |
| Stockett | 2.34 | 45.4 | 5.9% | 17.9% | 19.7% | 1977 | $855 | 31.2% | 95.0% | 0.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Ewa Beach, HI · Leesburg, VA · Union City, NJ · Kokomo, IN · Kingsport, TN · Janesville, WI · Huntington, WV · Manassas, VA · Huntersville, NC · Fayetteville, GA
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 Great 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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