Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Great Falls, Montana
A $237,000 home here costs
$1,886per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,218. The real number is $668 higher every month — 55% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Great Falls against Cascade County and Montana
| Measure | Great Falls | Cascade County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $237,400 | $243,300 |
| Median property tax | $2,273 | $2,236 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.957% | 0.919% |
| Median gross rent | $866 | $902 |
| Population | 60,412 | 84,601 |
The weather behind that power bill
Great Falls sits in Cascade County, which averages a high of 84.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 15.0°F in its coldest, with 14.76" of precipitation a year and 47% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 310 cooling and 7,722 heating degree days, which is what sets the $132 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Cascade County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Cascade County
Full Cascade County cost breakdown · Every county in Montana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Great Falls?
A $237,000 home in Great Falls, Montana costs approximately $1,886 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,218 principal and interest, $189 property tax, $82 homeowners insurance, $200 utilities and $198 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Great Falls?
Great Falls has an effective property tax rate of 0.957%, based on a median home value of $237,400 and median real estate taxes of $2,273. That is higher than the Cascade County average of 0.919%.
What is the average home price in Great Falls?
The median owner-occupied home value in Great Falls, Montana is $237,400, against $243,300 across Cascade County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Great Falls?
Median gross rent in Great Falls is $866 a month, against $1,886 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Great Falls — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Montana.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.