Cascade County is located in north-central Montana, extending from the Missouri River corridor across prairie and breaks into portions of the Rocky Mountain Front. Established in 1887 during the territorial-era expansion of county government, it developed as a regional center for trade, transportation, and agriculture in the Missouri River basin. The county is mid-sized by Montana standards, with a population of roughly 85,000 residents, and is anchored by the city of Great Falls. Great Falls, the county seat, functions as the primary urban hub, while much of the surrounding area remains rural. The local economy includes government and health services, manufacturing and logistics tied to Great Falls, and ranching and dryland farming in outlying communities. Landscapes range from river valleys and irrigated fields to open grasslands and foothill terrain. Cultural life reflects a mix of urban amenities in Great Falls and longstanding agricultural and military influences in the region.
Cascade County Local Demographic Profile
Cascade County is located in north-central Montana and includes Great Falls, the county seat, along the Missouri River corridor. The county is part of a regional trade, services, and military area anchored by Malmstrom Air Force Base and Great Falls’ metro-area functions.
Population Size
- According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Cascade County, Montana, Cascade County had a population of 84,027 (2020 Census).
Age & Gender
County-level age distribution and sex (gender) breakdown figures are published by the U.S. Census Bureau; however, exact percentages and counts cannot be provided here without reproducing the specific table values directly from the Census Bureau data tables. The authoritative county profile tables are available via:
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Cascade County (Age and Sex)
- For table-based detail (including standard age brackets and sex counts), use data.census.gov and search “Cascade County, Montana” under S0101 (Age and Sex).
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Race and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity are reported by the U.S. Census Bureau for Cascade County; however, exact category shares cannot be stated here without directly citing the table values. Official county-level figures are available from:
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Cascade County (Race and Hispanic Origin)
- For detailed race-by-ethnicity tables (including single-race and multiracial categories), use data.census.gov and search county tables such as DP05 (ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates).
Household & Housing Data
Household counts, household size, housing units, occupancy/vacancy, and tenure (owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied) are maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau for Cascade County; however, exact household and housing figures cannot be stated here without reproducing the table values. Official sources include:
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Cascade County (Housing and Households)
- For detailed household and housing tables (including occupancy, tenure, and housing characteristics), use data.census.gov and search for DP04 (Selected Housing Characteristics) and S1101 (Households and Families).
Local Government Reference
For county government information and planning-related resources, visit the Cascade County official website.
Email Usage
Cascade County’s large land area and rural-to-urban mix (anchored by Great Falls) create uneven digital connectivity: service is typically stronger in population centers and more limited in sparsely populated areas, shaping reliance on email and other online communication.
Direct county-level email usage rates are not routinely published; email adoption is commonly inferred from access proxies such as broadband subscriptions, computer availability, and age structure reported by the U.S. Census Bureau (data.census.gov). In the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), key indicators include household broadband internet subscriptions and presence of a computer; higher levels generally correspond to higher practical email access.
Age distribution influences email adoption because older populations tend to have lower overall internet use than prime working-age adults, while school-age and working-age groups face stronger institutional drivers (work, education, government services) for email use. Cascade County’s age profile can be referenced through ACS demographic tables on data.census.gov.
Gender distribution is available from ACS but is not consistently a primary driver of email access compared with age and connectivity.
Infrastructure limitations in rural portions of the county include last-mile coverage gaps and speed/reliability constraints documented by the FCC National Broadband Map.
Mobile Phone Usage
Cascade County is in north-central Montana and includes the city of Great Falls as its largest population center. The county combines an urban core along the Missouri River with extensive rural areas and agricultural land. Terrain and land use are shaped by the river corridor, prairie, and nearby mountain front influences, and the county’s relatively low population density outside Great Falls contributes to the typical rural challenges for mobile coverage and capacity (fewer towers per square mile, larger cell sizes, and more coverage gaps). Baseline population and density context is available from Census.gov QuickFacts for Cascade County.
Key distinction: network availability vs. household adoption
Network availability describes where mobile providers report service (coverage footprints, advertised technologies such as 4G LTE or 5G).
Household adoption describes whether residents actually subscribe to mobile service and use it for voice/data, including whether mobile broadband substitutes for fixed home internet. County-level adoption and device-type detail are often available only through surveys with limited sample sizes; Montana-wide measures are generally more reliable than Cascade-only estimates.
Mobile penetration / access indicators (adoption)
Household phone access (ACS)
The most consistently published “penetration” indicator at the county level is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) on telephone service availability (households with a telephone, including cellular). This is a household-level access measure and does not indicate 4G/5G capability or data usage intensity.
- County-level telephone service indicators can be obtained from the ACS via data.census.gov (tables under “Telephone service available”).
- The ACS also provides county estimates for computer and internet subscription (including cellular data plans as a subscription type), but precision can vary for smaller geographies; published margins of error should be used as the constraint on interpretation. The relevant internet subscription and device tables are accessible through data.census.gov and summarized at Census Bureau Computer and Internet Use.
Limitation: ACS “telephone service” is not the same as mobile subscription for every person, does not identify the mobile network generation (4G/5G), and does not measure coverage quality. ACS also reports at the household level, not the individual level.
Mobile as a home internet substitute (context)
The ACS includes categories for cellular data plan subscriptions (as part of internet subscription types). This is the most common federal dataset indicating where mobile broadband is used as an internet access method in households, but it does not measure speeds or reliability.
Limitation: County-level interpretation should remain bounded by ACS sampling error; fine-grained urban–rural differences inside Cascade County are not directly resolved by ACS tables.
Mobile internet usage patterns and network availability (4G/5G)
Reported coverage footprints (availability)
For network availability, the principal public sources are federal coverage maps and state broadband mapping.
- The FCC publishes provider-reported mobile broadband coverage in the FCC’s broadband mapping program. County-level viewing is available through the FCC National Broadband Map. Layers typically include 4G LTE and 5G (with subcategories that may include 5G NR “low-band,” “mid-band,” and “mmWave,” depending on the map’s current layer structure and provider filings).
- Montana’s statewide broadband office provides planning context and map resources that can be used to compare fixed and mobile availability, including rural coverage constraints. See the Montana Department of Commerce broadband program.
How to interpret 4G vs 5G availability in Cascade County (availability, not adoption):
- 4G LTE is typically the most geographically extensive mobile broadband layer in rural Montana counties and is the baseline for wide-area coverage claims.
- 5G availability tends to be most continuous in and around Great Falls and along major transport corridors, with patchier footprints in sparsely populated areas. Provider-reported maps show where 5G is advertised, but do not guarantee indoor coverage or consistent performance.
Limitations of availability data: FCC mobile coverage is based on provider submissions and modeled propagation; it does not directly represent on-the-ground signal quality in every location or building type. Coverage polygons can overstate service in complex terrain or at cell edges.
Performance and capacity considerations (usage-relevant)
Public, standardized county-level statistics on actual mobile speeds and congestion are limited. The FCC map focuses on availability; third-party speed test aggregations exist but vary in methodology and sampling and are not authoritative for adoption levels.
Geographic factors in Cascade County that influence mobile performance (availability-to-experience pathway):
- Rural tower spacing and backhaul constraints can reduce capacity during peak times.
- River valleys and varied terrain can create localized coverage differences, especially away from Great Falls and outside major road corridors.
Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)
Household device ownership (ACS)
The ACS includes county-level estimates for device ownership categories, typically including:
- Smartphone
- Tablet or other portable wireless computer
- Desktop or laptop
- “No computer” (households without a computing device)
These data are accessible through data.census.gov (ACS “Computer and Internet Use” tables) and provide the best publicly available, standardized county-level reference for distinguishing smartphone ownership from other device types.
Interpretation constraints:
- ACS device categories are household-based and do not indicate device age, 4G/5G capability, or whether the smartphone is the primary internet device.
- Device ownership does not equate to mobile data subscription or consistent connectivity.
Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage (adoption and reliance)
Urban–rural structure
Cascade County’s population is concentrated in Great Falls, with large rural expanses elsewhere. This structure commonly produces:
- Higher likelihood of robust multi-provider service and 5G availability in the urban core (availability).
- Greater dependence on a smaller number of providers and more variable service quality in rural areas (availability), which can influence whether households rely on mobile for broadband (adoption).
County geography and community context can be referenced via the Cascade County government website and the City of Great Falls website.
Income, age, and housing patterns (adoption)
At the county level, adoption of mobile service and mobile-only internet use is commonly associated with:
- Income and affordability: lower-income households are more likely to rely on smartphones and cellular plans as their main internet connection in many U.S. contexts, but county-specific attribution requires ACS internet subscription and device tables plus careful use of margins of error.
- Age distribution: older populations often show lower smartphone adoption and different usage intensity patterns; county age structure is available from Census.gov QuickFacts.
- Housing density and building type: denser areas typically support more cell sites and better indoor service; rural housing patterns can reduce indoor signal strength and increase the importance of external antennas or Wi‑Fi calling (experience, not directly measured in federal adoption tables).
Limitations: Public sources do not consistently provide county-level mobile-only household rates, smartphone-only reliance, or 4G/5G-capable device shares with high precision. ACS provides the most standardized county-level proxy indicators (telephone access, device ownership, and internet subscription types) but does not directly measure mobile network generation used by households.
Summary of what is measurable at the county level vs. what is not
- Best county-level adoption indicators (public): ACS telephone service availability; ACS internet subscription types (including cellular data plans); ACS device ownership categories (including smartphones). Primary access via data.census.gov.
- Best county-level availability indicators (public): provider-reported 4G/5G coverage layers via the FCC National Broadband Map; statewide planning context via the Montana broadband program.
- Commonly unavailable or weak at county resolution (without proprietary datasets): verified countywide 4G/5G performance distributions, congestion metrics, handset capability shares (4G-only vs 5G), and detailed mobile internet usage intensity (hours, app types) specific to Cascade County.
Social Media Trends
Cascade County is in north‑central Montana and includes Great Falls (the county seat and a regional trade and healthcare center) along with Malmstrom Air Force Base, which contribute to a mix of civilian, military, and rural populations. The county’s wide geography, commuting patterns, and dispersed communities tend to elevate the importance of mobile connectivity and social platforms for local news, community groups, and event coordination.
User statistics (penetration/active use)
- County-level social media penetration: No public, methodologically consistent dataset regularly publishes Cascade County–specific social media penetration (active users as a share of residents) across major platforms.
- Best available benchmark (U.S. adults, commonly used as a local proxy): National surveys indicate a large majority of adults use at least one social platform. The most-cited baseline for local context is the Pew Research Center social media fact sheet, which reports platform usage rates among U.S. adults and shows broad adoption across age groups, with usage highest among younger adults.
- Montana context: State-specific platform penetration is also not consistently reported by reputable survey series at the county level; Montana’s mix of rural/urban connectivity makes national benchmarks the most defensible reference for county summaries.
Age group trends (who uses social media most)
Using the most reliable repeated national measurements (Pew):
- Highest usage: 18–29 and 30–49 adults consistently show the highest adoption across most major platforms. Younger adults also tend to be multi-platform users.
- Middle usage: 50–64 adults generally show moderate-to-high usage depending on platform (often strong on Facebook; lower on newer video-first platforms).
- Lowest usage: 65+ adults are less likely to use several platforms, though Facebook and YouTube usage are comparatively higher than other platforms for this group. Source basis: Pew Research Center platform-by-age estimates.
Gender breakdown
Publicly available, high-quality local estimates for Cascade County are not available; national patterns provide the clearest signal:
- Women tend to report higher usage of platforms oriented toward social connection and sharing (notably Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest in Pew’s reporting).
- Men tend to report relatively higher usage for some discussion/news and video/game-adjacent spaces, though differences vary by platform and have narrowed for several services over time. Source basis: Pew Research Center platform-by-gender estimates.
Most-used platforms (percentages where available)
County-specific platform shares are not published in a consistent, reputable series; the following U.S.-adult usage rates are commonly used for local planning context and are from Pew’s fact sheet:
- YouTube: 83% of U.S. adults
- Facebook: 68%
- Instagram: 47%
- Pinterest: 35%
- TikTok: 33%
- LinkedIn: 30%
- X (formerly Twitter): 22%
- WhatsApp: 23%
- Reddit: 27% Source: Pew Research Center, Social Media Fact Sheet.
Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and preferences)
- Video as a primary format: High YouTube usage nationally aligns with broad local relevance for how-to content, local sports, school/community videos, and news clips; short-form video growth is reflected in TikTok’s increasing reach (per Pew).
- Community and local-information use cases: In counties with a major service hub (Great Falls) and surrounding rural areas, Facebook’s strengths—groups, event listings, marketplace activity, and local organization pages—typically map to common engagement needs (community coordination and local commerce), consistent with Facebook’s continuing scale in Pew data.
- Age-stratified platform selection: Younger adults concentrate more time on Instagram and TikTok, while older adults more often rely on Facebook and YouTube, reflecting Pew’s age gradients.
- News and civic information exposure: Social platforms function as important referral channels for news and local updates; the Pew Research Center social media and news fact sheet documents how Americans encounter news on social networks and video platforms, informing expectations for local information consumption patterns in Cascade County.
Family & Associates Records
Cascade County family-related public records largely fall under Montana state vital records and county court filings. Birth and death certificates are maintained by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Office of Vital Records, rather than the county; requests are submitted through the state’s Vital Records portal and by mail/in person per state procedures (Montana Office of Vital Records). Marriage licenses are commonly issued and recorded at the county level through the Cascade County Clerk of District Court (Cascade County Clerk of District Court). Adoption records are handled through the court process and are generally restricted; access is governed by state law and court order practices.
Associate-related public records are typically found in court case files and recorded instruments. Cascade County court records (civil, criminal, family, and probate case dockets) are accessible through the Clerk of District Court office, with public terminals and staff-assisted searches available in person (Clerk of District Court). Recorded property documents and related filings are maintained by the Cascade County Clerk & Recorder (Cascade County Clerk & Recorder).
Online access for statewide court docket information is provided through the Montana Judicial Branch portal (Montana Judicial Branch). Privacy restrictions commonly apply to vital records (limited eligibility and identification requirements) and to sensitive court matters (sealed adoption files, certain juvenile or protected cases).
Marriage & Divorce Records
Types of records available
Marriage records (licenses and certificates)
- Marriage license / application: Issued by the Cascade County Clerk of District Court and used to authorize a marriage ceremony in Montana.
- Marriage certificate / return: The completed license (after the ceremony) is returned for filing with the Clerk of District Court and becomes the official county marriage record.
Divorce records (decrees and case files)
- Divorce decree (final judgment): Entered by the Montana District Court (Eighth Judicial District, Cascade County) and filed by the Clerk of District Court as part of the civil case record.
- Divorce case record: The broader court file may include the petition/complaint, summons, affidavits, parenting plans, child support orders, property settlement terms, and related orders.
Annulment records
- Decree of annulment / judgment: Annulments are handled as District Court civil cases; the final judgment and associated filings are maintained by the Clerk of District Court in the same manner as other domestic-relations court records.
Where records are filed and how they can be accessed
Cascade County marriage records
- Filing authority: Cascade County Clerk of District Court maintains marriage license records and completed marriage returns filed in the county.
- Access: Requests are typically handled through the Clerk of District Court’s office for copies and record searches. Older records may also be accessible through archival/research channels depending on retention and indexing practices.
Cascade County divorce and annulment records
- Filing authority: Clerk of District Court (Eighth Judicial District Court, Cascade County) maintains the official court docket and case file, including final decrees and orders.
- Access:
- Court record copies are obtained from the Clerk of District Court by requesting the case record or specific documents (such as the decree).
- Statewide court docket access is commonly provided through the Montana Judicial Branch’s public court records portal (for available case information; document images/attachments may be limited by court policy and confidentiality rules). Reference: Montana Judicial Branch.
State-level vital records context (marriage)
- Montana Office of Vital Records maintains statewide vital records (including marriages) for authorized purposes; county marriage licensing and filing remains with the Clerk of District Court where the license was issued. Reference: Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS).
Typical information included in these records
Marriage license / certificate (county record)
Common fields include:
- Full legal names of both parties (including prior names as listed on the application)
- Ages and/or dates of birth (as recorded on the application)
- Residences/addresses at time of application
- Date and place of marriage ceremony
- Officiant’s name/title and signature
- Names/signatures of witnesses (when required by the form used)
- Date the license was issued and filing/recording details (license number, filing date)
Divorce decree / judgment (court record)
Common fields include:
- Court caption and case number; names of parties
- Date of decree and judge’s signature
- Findings and orders dissolving the marriage
- Terms addressing:
- Division of property and debts
- Spousal maintenance (alimony), when ordered
- Parenting plan/custody and visitation
- Child support and medical support, when applicable
- Name change orders, when granted
- Incorporation/approval of settlement agreements (when applicable)
Annulment judgment (court record)
Common fields include:
- Court caption and case number; names of parties
- Date of judgment and judge’s signature
- Legal basis for annulment and orders declaring the marriage invalid
- Orders on property, support, and parenting matters where applicable
Privacy and legal restrictions
- Public access framework: Marriage records filed with the county and most court dockets are generally treated as public records, subject to Montana court rules and statutes governing confidentiality.
- Sealed/confidential materials: Portions of divorce/annulment case files may be sealed or restricted by statute or court order. Common restricted categories include:
- Records involving minors (certain filings and identifying information)
- Sensitive personal identifiers (e.g., Social Security numbers, financial account numbers) subject to redaction rules
- Protected information in family law cases (e.g., certain evaluations, reports, or records designated confidential by law or court order)
- Certified copies and identity verification: Agencies may require identification and may limit issuance of certified copies to eligible requesters or require formal request procedures. Certified copies are commonly used for legal purposes such as name changes, benefits, or remarriage.
- Online access limits: Even when basic docket information is viewable online, document images and specific family-law filings may be restricted or omitted from online display under court access policies and confidentiality rules.
Education, Employment and Housing
Cascade County is in north‑central Montana along the Missouri River and is anchored by Great Falls, the county seat and primary service center. The county is part of the Great Falls metropolitan area and includes urban neighborhoods, older streetcar-era housing areas, newer subdivisions, and large rural tracts. Population size and many community indicators are commonly reported through the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and state labor-market reporting; the most recent values cited below are from those standard sources unless otherwise noted.
Education Indicators
Public school presence (counts and school names)
- Public school systems: The largest district presence is Great Falls Public Schools (GFPS), serving most of the City of Great Falls; additional public K–12 education is provided through smaller districts in outlying communities (district structure varies by town and elementary/high-school district organization).
- Number of public schools and school names: A single consolidated, countywide, always-current “public school count with names” is not consistently published in one authoritative dataset for Cascade County in the way it is for cities or districts. As a practical proxy, district and school directories are the most reliable sources:
- Great Falls Public Schools directory (school names and contacts): Great Falls Public Schools
- Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) school/district directory (statewide, filterable): Montana Office of Public Instruction
- NCES public school search (federal school listing): NCES Public School Locator
Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates
- Student–teacher ratio: Reported student–teacher ratios are typically published at the district (not county) level. For Cascade County, the most defensible proxy is the primary local district (GFPS) and/or state averages where county aggregation is unavailable. District- and school-level staffing and enrollment are available through OPI and federal NCES tools (links above).
- Graduation rates: Montana reports cohort graduation rates by district and high school through OPI accountability reporting. Countywide aggregation is not consistently presented as a single figure; district-level graduation outcomes in Cascade County are best taken from OPI’s published accountability/graduation reporting: Montana OPI reporting.
Adult education levels (ACS)
Adult educational attainment is typically measured for residents age 25+ using the ACS. The most recent 5‑year ACS profile tables provide county estimates for:
- High school diploma (or equivalent) or higher
- Bachelor’s degree or higher
These values are available in the county “Education” profile tables via the Census Bureau:
- County educational attainment tables (ACS): U.S. Census Bureau data portal (search “Cascade County, Montana educational attainment”).
(Note: Specific percentages are not quoted here because ACS values update annually and require table extraction for the current release; the linked ACS tables are the authoritative source for the most recent percentages.)
Notable programs (STEM, career/technical, Advanced Placement)
- Career & Technical Education (CTE): Montana CTE pathways (trades, health, IT, construction, manufacturing-related programs) are commonly offered through district high schools and regional partners; program availability is reported by districts and OPI CTE materials: Montana OPI CTE information.
- Advanced Placement (AP) / dual credit: AP and dual-enrollment offerings are typically managed at the high-school level and published in school course catalogs and program pages (GFPS and other local district sites are the primary sources).
- STEM initiatives: STEM activities in the Great Falls area are frequently supported through district programs and community partners; formal inventories are most reliably found in district strategic plans and school profiles rather than county summaries.
School safety measures and counseling resources
- Safety: Montana districts generally follow state-required emergency operations planning, building access controls, and crisis response procedures, with details published by each district. GFPS and other local districts typically maintain safety-related policies and procedures through board policy manuals and student handbooks.
- Counseling/mental health: School counseling resources (counselors, school psychologists, social workers, referral protocols) are generally reported at the district/school level. Montana’s broader youth mental-health and school safety guidance is distributed through OPI: Montana OPI student support and safety resources.
Employment and Economic Conditions
Unemployment rate (most recent year available)
- Source standard: The most comparable unemployment series for counties is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS).
- Most recent annual rate: The latest annual average unemployment rate for Cascade County is published by BLS LAUS and updated monthly/annually; use the county series here: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS).
(A single numeric rate is not embedded here because the “most recent year” changes with the current calendar year; BLS LAUS is the definitive reference.)
Major industries and employment sectors
Cascade County’s employment base is shaped by Great Falls’ role as a regional hub plus federal/military presence. Commonly dominant sectors in county employment and payroll statistics include:
- Health care and social assistance
- Retail trade
- Educational services
- Accommodation and food services
- Construction
- Manufacturing (select categories)
- Public administration, including federal activity associated with Malmstrom Air Force Base (a major regional employer)
Authoritative sector detail is available through:
- Census/ACS industry by occupation tables: data.census.gov
- Montana Department of Labor & Industry local area profiles: Montana DLI
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) for industry employment and wages: BLS QCEW
Common occupations and workforce breakdown
Occupational composition is typically measured via ACS (employed civilian population 16+). In Cascade County, common large occupation groups generally include:
- Office and administrative support
- Sales and related
- Management
- Healthcare practitioners/support
- Transportation and material moving
- Construction and extraction
- Installation, maintenance, and repair
- Education, training, and library
- Protective service (often elevated in areas with military and public-sector activity)
County occupation distributions are available via:
Commuting patterns and mean commute time
- Mean travel time to work: ACS reports mean commute time for workers age 16+ (excluding working from home in some tables, depending on the table definition). County values are available here: ACS commuting tables on data.census.gov.
- Typical pattern (context proxy): As a small metro anchored by a single principal city, commuting is commonly characterized by within-county travel into Great Falls for services, healthcare, education, retail, and government jobs, with additional commuting from rural areas and small towns into the Great Falls urban area.
Local employment versus out-of-county work
- Primary source: The most comparable “residence vs. workplace” commuting flows come from the Census Bureau’s LEHD/OnTheMap origin-destination data, which estimates how many residents work inside vs. outside the county: Census OnTheMap (LEHD).
- General finding (context): Counties anchored by a regional job center typically show a majority working within the county, with measurable out-commuting to nearby counties for specialized work and to statewide centers, and some in-commuting into Great Falls for services and public-sector jobs. Exact shares are best taken from the OnTheMap “Inflow/Outflow” report for Cascade County.
Housing and Real Estate
Homeownership rate and rental share
- Source: ACS provides county tenure estimates (owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied housing units). The most recent figures are in ACS “Housing Tenure” tables:
- ACS housing tenure tables on data.census.gov (search “Cascade County, Montana tenure”)
Median property values and recent trends
- Median home value (owner-occupied): Published by ACS (median value of owner-occupied housing units).
- Trend proxy: Like much of Montana, Cascade County experienced upward price pressure during 2020–2022, followed by slower growth and more interest-rate sensitivity thereafter. The authoritative measure for a consistent median value series is ACS; for market-trend measures (list prices/sales), third-party housing market indices can be consulted but vary in methodology.
- Authoritative baseline (ACS): ACS median home value tables
Typical rent prices
- Median gross rent: Reported by ACS and includes contract rent plus estimated utilities. The most recent county median is available via:
Types of housing
- Urban Great Falls: Predominantly single-family detached homes, with duplexes and small-to-mid-size apartment buildings, plus some newer multifamily development near commercial corridors.
- County outside the city: Rural lots and acreage properties, farm/ranch residences, and scattered subdivisions; manufactured housing is present in some areas. Housing-stock composition by structure type is available through ACS “Units in Structure” tables:
Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools or amenities)
- Great Falls core neighborhoods: Typically closer to major schools, hospitals/clinics, government services, and retail corridors, with shorter intra-city commutes and more rental options.
- Peripheral and rural areas: Generally characterized by larger lots, lower density, and longer driving distances to schools and amenities, with more reliance on personal vehicles. These are descriptive proxies; precise proximity patterns are best measured using GIS and school address directories (GFPS and OPI directories linked above).
Property tax overview (rate and typical cost)
- Administration: Property taxes in Montana are based on taxable value (assessed value × state-set rates) multiplied by local mill levies, which vary by jurisdiction (school district levies, city/county, and special districts). Cascade County’s billed amounts differ materially by location (inside Great Falls vs. unincorporated areas) and by school district.
- Authoritative references:
- Montana Department of Revenue property tax information: Montana Department of Revenue
- Cascade County Treasurer (tax billing/collections and local guidance): Cascade County government
- Rate/cost reporting limitation: A single “average property tax rate” is not uniformly defined across Montana counties due to mill levy variation and classification rules. The most defensible proxy for household property-tax burden is the ACS estimate of median real estate taxes paid for owner-occupied housing units, available at:
Table of Contents
Other Counties in Montana
- Beaverhead
- Big Horn
- Blaine
- Broadwater
- Carbon
- Carter
- Chouteau
- Custer
- Daniels
- Dawson
- Deer Lodge
- Fallon
- Fergus
- Flathead
- Gallatin
- Garfield
- Glacier
- Golden Valley
- Granite
- Hill
- Jefferson
- Judith Basin
- Lake
- Lewis And Clark
- Liberty
- Lincoln
- Madison
- Mccone
- Meagher
- Mineral
- Missoula
- Musselshell
- Park
- Petroleum
- Phillips
- Pondera
- Powder River
- Powell
- Prairie
- Ravalli
- Richland
- Roosevelt
- Rosebud
- Sanders
- Sheridan
- Silver Bow
- Stillwater
- Sweet Grass
- Teton
- Toole
- Treasure
- Valley
- Wheatland
- Wibaux
- Yellowstone