Cascade County, Montana
AffordabilityAffordability: grade C, better than 42% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade C, better than 26% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade F, better than 2% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B, better than 70% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade D, better than 23% of US counties
- top 2% for sales tax
- top 3% for summer humidity
- bottom 2% for property crime
Cascade County is a county in Montana with about 84,000 residents. It grades B for getting around and F for safety & wellbeing. Standout strengths include sales tax, summer humidity, and commute time. It rates lower on airport distance and property crime.
- The median home value in Cascade County is $228k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Cascade County is $61k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Cascade County is $866 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Cascade County has a violent crime rate of 1463/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Cascade County is 17 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Warm, dry summers · Cold winters · Dry · Heavy snow
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cool
very cold
87%55%clearovercast
Precipitation 1.8 in0.5 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$61k53rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$47kbetter than 36% of US counties
Home Value$228k75th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$866better than 40% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$24kbetter than 21% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.95%better than 43% of US counties
Income Tax5.90%better than 24% of US counties
Sales Tax0.00%better than 98% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden9.41%better than 51% of US counties
Unemployment3.3%better than 78% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)25°F22nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)67°F5th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation14.9 in6th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall58.8 inbetter than 8% of US counties
Sunny Days245 daysbetter than 60% of US counties
Summer Humidity44°Fbetter than 97% of US counties
Comfortable Days42 daysbetter than 7% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk83.1better than 16% of US counties
Air Quality50 AQIbetter than 16% of US counties
School Quality41.7better than 19% of US counties
Violent Crime1463/100kbetter than 17% of US counties
Property Crime3412/100kbetter than 2% of US counties
Community
Population84,42379th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age37.921st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.2649th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0474th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+2031st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)83.5%55th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)1.5%44th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)5.0%51st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.9%65th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)9.1%93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time17 minbetter than 92% of US counties
Walkability7.8/20better than 85% of US counties
Airport Distance290 mibetter than 6% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access84.7%better than 59% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.12better than 25% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 21% of US counties
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Frequently asked questions
- Is Cascade County an affordable place to live?
- Cascade County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $47k, better than 36% of comparable areas. Median rent is $866.
- Is Cascade County safe?
- Cascade County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1463/100k (better than 17%). Property crime is 3412/100k.
- What is the weather like in Cascade County?
- Cascade County averages 67°F in July and 25°F in January, with 14.9 in of annual precipitation and about 245 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Cascade County?
- Public-school quality in Cascade County is below average, scoring better than 19% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Cascade County?
- The average one-way commute in Cascade County is 17 min.