Great Falls vs Sun River
Great Falls, Montana versus Sun River, Montana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Sun River edges out Great Falls on overall objective livability (45 vs 41 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Great Falls | Sun River |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $58k | $39k |
| Cost of Living | $47k | $47k |
| Home Value | $224k | $163k |
| Monthly Rent | $828 | — |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $17k | $34 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.97% | 0.56% |
| Income Tax | 5.90% | 5.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.63% | 8.24% |
| Unemployment | 3.4% | 50.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 24°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 68°F | 68°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 15.4 in | 13.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 66.1 in | 45.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 244 days | 244 days |
| Summer Humidity | 44°F | 44°F |
| Comfortable Days | 44 days | 47 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 65.2 | 86.5 |
| Air Quality | 54 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 42.3 | 63.5 |
| Violent Crime | 1767/100k | 1463/100k |
| Property Crime | 4484/100k | 3412/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 60,373 | 58 |
| Median Age | 38.8 | 69.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.27 | 0.00 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 1.42 |
| Political Leaning | R+20 | R+20 |
| White (%) | 82.9% | 100.0% |
| Black (%) | 1.0% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.4% | 0.0% |
| Asian (%) | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 9.7% | 0.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 15 min | — |
| Walkability | 10.4/20 | 5.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 291 mi | 271 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.6% | 100.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 34.62 | 172.41 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | 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 Great Falls or Sun River more affordable?
- Sun River has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Great Falls's $47k and Sun River's $47k.
- Is Great Falls or Sun River safer?
- Sun River has the lower violent crime rate. Great Falls reports 1767/100k and Sun River reports 1463/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Great Falls or Sun River?
- The median home value is $224k in Great Falls and $163k in Sun River, so homes are more affordable in Sun River.