Columbia Falls, MT

Census Place

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2024 Population
5,615
US Senator
Steve Daines
Republican Party
US Senator
Tim Sheehy
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
36.6
4.44% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
15.2%
5.23% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$75,766
16% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$384,400
10.9% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
2,934
2.73% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Columbia Falls, MT reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.2% of the residents in Columbia Falls, MT are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Columbia Falls, MT was $384,400, and the homeownership rate was 56%.

Most people in Columbia Falls, MT drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Columbia Falls, MT was 2 cars per household.

United StatesMontanaFlathead County, MTKalispell, MTFlathead, Glacier & Lincoln Counties--Kalispell City PUMA, MT

Population & Diversity

Columbia Falls, MT is home to a population of 5.62k people, from which 99.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.5% of Columbia Falls, MT residents were born outside of the country (84 people).

In 2024, there were 37.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.26k people) in Columbia Falls, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 139 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 94 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.2%
2024 Citizenship
98.6%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.2% of Columbia Falls, MT residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Columbia Falls, MT was 98.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Columbia Falls, MT compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbia Falls, MT
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    5.26k ± 199
  2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    139 ± 91
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    94 ± 107
2.94%
Hispanic Population
165 people

In 2024, there were 37.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.26k people) in Columbia Falls, MT than any other race or ethnicity. There were 139 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 94 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

2.94% of the people in Columbia Falls, MT are hispanic (165 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Columbia Falls, MT as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Montana.
Most Common Origin
  1. Canada
    3,832 ± 1,517 people
  2. Mexico
    2,638 ± 1,259 people
  3. Germany
    1,932 ± 1,078 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Montana was Canada, the natal country of 3,832 Montana residents, followed by Mexico with 2,638 and Germany with 1,932.

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Foreign-Born Population

1.5%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
84 people
2.4%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
133 people

As of 2024, 1.5% of Columbia Falls, MT residents (84 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Columbia Falls, MT was 2.4%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Columbia Falls, MT compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    154 ± 103
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    40 ± 52
  3. Korea
    20 ± 34

Columbia Falls, MT has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.85 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Columbia Falls, MT.

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Economy

The economy of Columbia Falls, MT employs 2.93k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Columbia Falls, MT were Accommodation & Food Services (486 people), Construction (376 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (321 people), and the highest paying industries were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($129,271), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting ($128,073), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($100,938).

Employment

Occupations

2.93k
2024 Value
± 569
2.73%
1 Year growth
± 26.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia Falls, MT grew at a rate of 2.73%, from 2.86k employees to 2.93k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbia Falls, MT, are Management Occupations (412 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (267 people), and Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance Occupations (253 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbia Falls, MT.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Montana.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Montana (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

2.93k
2024 Value
± 569
2.73%
1 Year growth
± 26.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia Falls, MT grew at a rate of 2.73%, from 2.86k employees to 2.93k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbia Falls, MT, are Accommodation & Food Services (486 people), Construction (376 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (321 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbia Falls, MT, though some of these residents may live in Columbia Falls, MT and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$39,500
Median earning men ± $14,968
$42,800
Median earning women ± $8,813

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($129,896), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($100,938), and Construction ($63,243).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($100,407), Public Administration ($59,342), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($48,234).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Montana.
Y-Axis
2.24%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 508k people employed in Montana. This represents a 2.24% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Montana.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Montana went to Donald J. Trump with 58.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.96%).

Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy are the senators currently representing the state of Montana. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Montana is currently represented by 2 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Columbia Falls, MT. Showing the available data for Montana.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (58.4%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (38.5%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (1.96%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Montana went to Donald J. Trump with 58.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.96%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Montana for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Montana

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Montana.
Steve Daines
Senator from Montana2
Assumed office on January 3, 2015
Tim Sheehy
Senator from Montana1
Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy are the senators currently representing Montana.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Montana over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Columbia Falls, MT was $384,400 in 2024, which is 1.16 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $346,700 to $384,400, a 10.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbia Falls, MT is 56%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Columbia Falls, MT have an average commute time of 19.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbia Falls, MT is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$384,400
Median Property Value 2024
±$38,572
$1,238
Median Property Taxes
±$278

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Columbia Falls, MT the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Columbia Falls, MT compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

56%
Homeownership
2024
66.7%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 56% of the housing units in Columbia Falls, MT were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 64.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Columbia Falls, MT compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$75,766
Median Household Income
± $17,198
2.21k
Number of Households
± 430

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.21k households in Columbia Falls, MT grew to $75,766 from the previous year's value of $65,313.

The following chart displays the households in Columbia Falls, MT distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $100k - $125k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbia Falls, MT is from Montana.
0.46
2023 Wage GINI in Montana
0.463
2022 Wage GINI in Montana

In 2023, the income inequality in Montana was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.635% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Montana was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Montana in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Montana across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (78.6%)
  2. Worked At Home (14.8%)
  3. Carpooled (4.39%)

In 2024, 78.6% of workers in Columbia Falls, MT drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.8%) and those who carpooled to work (4.39%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

19.8 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbia Falls, MT have a shorter commute time (19.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Columbia Falls, MT have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Columbia Falls, MT compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Columbia Falls, MT distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Columbia Falls, MT have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

15.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbia Falls, MT (830 out of 5.45k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Columbia Falls, MT is White, followed by Other and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

82.1% of the population of Columbia Falls, MT has health coverage, with 42.5% on employee plans, 20.5% on Medicaid, 10.2% on Medicare, 7.87% on non-group plans, and 1.12% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Montana see 1,200 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,200 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1350 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 250 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.7% under 18 years, 19.4% between 18 and 34 years, 43.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 10.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

17.9%
Uninsured
42.5%
Employer Coverage
20.5%
Medicaid
10.2%
Medicare
7.87%
Non-Group
1.12%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Columbia Falls, MT grew by 19.9% from 14.9% to 17.9%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Columbia Falls, MT changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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