Columbia Falls vs Pinnacle
Columbia Falls, Montana versus Pinnacle, 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 Pinnacle 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 | Pinnacle |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $65k | $53k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $56k |
| Home Value | $288k | $450k |
| Monthly Rent | $949 | — |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $17 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.78% | 0.49% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.38% | 10.07% |
| Unemployment | 5.8% | 100.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 24°F | 24°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 63°F | 63°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 16.8 in | 40.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 54.4 in | 115.2 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 | 99.2 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 35 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 48.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1081/100k | 914/100k |
| Property Crime | 2093/100k | 1623/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 5,435 | 40 |
| Median Age | 37.5 | 64.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.18 | 0.00 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 1.11 |
| Political Leaning | R+31 | R+31 |
| White (%) | 89.4% | 100.0% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.3% | 0.0% |
| Asian (%) | 1.0% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.3% | 0.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 6.5/20 | 4.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 163 mi | 187 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.4% | 100.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 33.12 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
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 Pinnacle more affordable?
- Pinnacle has the lower cost of living: its index is $56k, compared with Columbia Falls's $56k and Pinnacle's $56k.
- Is Columbia Falls or Pinnacle safer?
- Pinnacle has the lower violent crime rate. Columbia Falls reports 1081/100k and Pinnacle reports 914/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Columbia Falls or Pinnacle?
- The median home value is $288k in Columbia Falls and $450k in Pinnacle, so homes are more affordable in Columbia Falls.