Columbia Falls vs Swan Lake
Columbia Falls, Montana versus Swan Lake, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Swan Lake edges out Columbia Falls on overall objective livability (50 vs 46 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Columbia Falls | Swan Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $65k | $76k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $56k |
| Home Value | $288k | $444k |
| Monthly Rent | $949 | — |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $77 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.78% | 0.48% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.38% | 8.68% |
| Unemployment | 5.8% | 0.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 24°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 63°F | 66°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 16.8 in | 21.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 54.4 in | 50.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 239 days | 239 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 48°F |
| Comfortable Days | 34 days | 31 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 81.6 | 87.9 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 31 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 58.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1081/100k | 914/100k |
| Property Crime | 2093/100k | 1623/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 5,435 | 216 |
| Median Age | 37.5 | 43.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.18 | 0.02 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 1.43 |
| Political Leaning | R+31 | R+31 |
| White (%) | 89.4% | 99.1% |
| Black (%) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.3% | 0.0% |
| Asian (%) | 1.0% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.3% | 0.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 6.5/20 | 4.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 163 mi | 175 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.4% | 96.4% |
| 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 Swan Lake more affordable?
- Swan Lake has the lower cost of living: its index is $56k, compared with Columbia Falls's $56k and Swan Lake's $56k.
- Is Columbia Falls or Swan Lake safer?
- Swan Lake has the lower violent crime rate. Columbia Falls reports 1081/100k and Swan Lake reports 914/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Columbia Falls or Swan Lake?
- The median home value is $288k in Columbia Falls and $444k in Swan Lake, so homes are more affordable in Columbia Falls.