Columbia Falls vs Olney
Columbia Falls, Montana versus Olney, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Columbia Falls and Olney score about the same overall (46 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Columbia Falls | Olney |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $65k | — |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $56k |
| Home Value | $288k | $232k |
| Monthly Rent | $949 | — |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $29 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.78% | 0.66% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.38% | — |
| Unemployment | 5.8% | 0.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 24°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 63°F | 63°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 16.8 in | 20.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 54.4 in | 63.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 239 days | 239 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 34 days | 35 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 81.6 | 76.0 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 35 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 40.5 |
| Violent Crime | 1081/100k | 914/100k |
| Property Crime | 2093/100k | 1623/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 5,435 | 132 |
| Median Age | 37.5 | 46.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.18 | 0.36 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 1.81 |
| Political Leaning | R+31 | R+31 |
| White (%) | 89.4% | 76.5% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.3% | 0.0% |
| Asian (%) | 1.0% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.3% | 23.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 6.5/20 | 6.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 163 mi | 151 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.4% | 80.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 33.12 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: 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 Columbia Falls or Olney more affordable?
- Olney has the lower cost of living: its index is $56k, compared with Columbia Falls's $56k and Olney's $56k.
- Is Columbia Falls or Olney safer?
- Olney has the lower violent crime rate. Columbia Falls reports 1081/100k and Olney reports 914/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Columbia Falls or Olney?
- The median home value is $288k in Columbia Falls and $232k in Olney, so homes are more affordable in Olney.