Cascade County vs Flathead County
Cascade County, Montana versus Flathead County, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Flathead County edges out Cascade County on overall objective livability (45 vs 41 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cascade County | Flathead County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $61k | $68k |
| Cost of Living | $47k | $56k |
| Home Value | $228k | $414k |
| Monthly Rent | $866 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.95% | 0.66% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.41% | 9.91% |
| Unemployment | 3.3% | 3.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 67°F | 63°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.9 in | 18.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 58.8 in | 58.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 239 days |
| Summer Humidity | 44°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 42 days | 35 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 83.1 | 86.5 |
| Air Quality | 50 AQI | 43 AQI |
| School Quality | 41.7 | 45.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1463/100k | 914/100k |
| Property Crime | 3412/100k | 1623/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 84,423 | 105,950 |
| Median Age | 37.9 | 42.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.26 | 0.15 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.04 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | R+20 | R+31 |
| White (%) | 83.5% | 91.1% |
| Black (%) | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.0% | 3.3% |
| Asian (%) | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 9.1% | 4.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 19 min |
| Walkability | 7.8/20 | 7.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 290 mi | 172 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 84.7% | 88.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.12 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Cascade County or Flathead County more affordable?
- Cascade County has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Cascade County's $47k and Flathead County's $56k. Median rent is $866 in Cascade County versus $1k in Flathead County.
- Is Cascade County or Flathead County safer?
- Flathead County has the lower violent crime rate. Cascade County reports 1463/100k and Flathead County reports 914/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cascade County or Flathead County?
- The median home value is $228k in Cascade County and $414k in Flathead County, so homes are more affordable in Cascade County.