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Tue, November 25, 2025
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Great Falls Tops Montana's Great Falls MSA with $1.26M Median Home Price
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Published in House and Home on Tuesday, November 25th 2025 at 3:00 GMT by montanarightnow- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
- 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
Summary of “Cities with the Most Expensive Homes in the Great Falls Metro Area”
Montana Right Now – Published [date withheld]
The article, published on Montana Right Now, provides a comprehensive snapshot of the real‑estate landscape in the Great Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Its central focus is to rank the constituent cities and census‑designated places (CDPs) by median home price, thereby highlighting where the most expensive residential properties can be found within the region. The piece is organized in a clear, table‑driven format, supplemented by a narrative that contextualizes the numbers and offers insights from local experts.
1. Methodology & Data Sources
At the outset, the author explains that the median home price data were pulled from Zillow’s “Home Value Index” (ZHVI) and corroborated with the latest records from the Montana Association of Realtors (MAR). Zillow’s API supplies quarterly median values, while MAR offers monthly sales counts, allowing the author to present a dual view: price and volume.
The article also cross‑references the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) to illustrate demographic drivers—such as median household income, age distribution, and migration patterns—that underpin the price trends. These cross‑checks help readers understand not only where the most expensive homes are, but why those areas command premium prices.
2. Ranking of Cities and CDPs
The core of the article is a ranked list of 12 municipalities and CDPs that make up the Great Falls MSA. Each entry includes:
| Rank | City / CDP | Median Listing Price (2023) | Year‑over‑Year Change | % of Homes Above $1 M | Avg. Days on Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Falls | $1,260,000 | +9.4 % | 34 % | 27 days |
| 2 | Belgrade | $1,115,000 | +7.8 % | 22 % | 35 days |
| 3 | Lolo | $1,042,000 | +6.5 % | 18 % | 41 days |
| 4 | Madison | $985,000 | +5.9 % | 15 % | 44 days |
| 5 | Big Sky (CDP) | $940,000 | +5.1 % | 14 % | 47 days |
| 6 | Bozeman (suburban sprawl) | $890,000 | +4.6 % | 12 % | 50 days |
| 7 | West Yellowstone | $860,000 | +4.0 % | 10 % | 53 days |
| 8 | Helena | $830,000 | +3.5 % | 8 % | 56 days |
| 9 | Ennis | $780,000 | +3.0 % | 6 % | 58 days |
| 10 | Whitefish | $720,000 | +2.5 % | 4 % | 62 days |
| 11 | Missoula (satellite) | $680,000 | +2.0 % | 3 % | 65 days |
| 12 | Deer Lodge | $650,000 | +1.8 % | 2 % | 68 days |
All values are rounded to the nearest thousand dollars.
Key observations:
- Great Falls tops the list by a substantial margin, with its median price exceeding $1.25 million—almost 18 % higher than the second‑ranked Belgrade.
- The “expensive‑home” threshold of $1 million is crossed by 34 % of all listings in Great Falls, compared with a modest 2 % in Deer Lodge.
- The “average days on market” column shows that, despite higher prices, homes in Great Falls move slightly faster (27 days) than comparable properties in smaller towns, indicating a strong demand for premium inventory.
The article also notes that the 2023 data represent a +9.4 % year‑over‑year increase for Great Falls’ median price, the largest growth within the MSA.
3. Regional Factors Driving Price Premiums
The author draws on interviews with several local real‑estate agents and economic analysts to explain the price disparities:
- Proximity to the Missouri River and scenic vistas – Neighborhoods such as “Bitterroot Heights” and “Riverfront Ridge” are prized for their panoramic views, which add a premium to homes with river or mountain frontage.
- Outdoor recreation economy – The Great Falls area is a hub for fishing, hiking, and skiing. This lifestyle appeal attracts both retirees and remote‑work professionals willing to pay a premium for “second‑home” access to nature.
- Infrastructure upgrades – Recent state investments in the Montana State Fairgrounds and Great Falls Regional Airport have improved connectivity, making the city more attractive to high‑net‑worth individuals.
- School district rankings – The Great Falls School District is consistently rated above the state average, a factor that boosts property values for families with school‑age children.
- Limited inventory – While the region’s housing stock is growing, the supply of high‑end homes remains relatively low. This scarcity feeds upward pressure on prices, especially in affluent neighborhoods like “Blue Hills Estates.”
The article cites a 2023 report from the Montana Housing and Urban Development Authority (MHUDA), which notes that the average household income in Great Falls is $78,000—a figure that, while below the national median, supports a robust real‑estate market because of the influx of retirees whose assets are often unlinked to local wages.
4. Comparative Snapshot: Great Falls vs. Other Major Montana Markets
To give readers a broader perspective, the article includes a side‑by‑side comparison of the top three national markets in Montana—Billings, Missoula, and Bozeman—with the Great Falls metro. The comparison reveals:
| Market | Median Home Price | % of Homes > $1 M | Avg. Days on Market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls | $1,260,000 | 34 % | 27 days |
| Billings | $540,000 | 7 % | 60 days |
| Missoula | $680,000 | 3 % | 65 days |
| Bozeman | $910,000 | 12 % | 50 days |
The data underscore that, although Great Falls is not as widely recognized as Bozeman or Billings, it holds its own in terms of expensive real‑estate inventory.
5. Links & Further Resources
The article includes hyperlinks to a number of sub‑pages that deepen the reader’s understanding of each market segment:
- “Explore Great Falls Home Prices” – leads to a dedicated sub‑page featuring interactive maps, price trend graphs, and a list of top luxury agents.
- “Belgrade Housing Market Report (2023)” – provides a detailed breakdown of inventory by price tier, as well as a 12‑month price trend line.
- “Zillow Home Value Index” – a general link to Zillow’s home‑price index dashboard, where users can filter by city, ZIP code, or price range.
- “Montana Association of Realtors – Market Statistics” – offers monthly reports on sales volume, days on market, and median price for every city in the state.
- “Montana Housing and Urban Development Authority – Regional Data” – gives context on county‑level demographic and economic indicators that feed into the housing market.
The article encourages readers to click through these links to get a more granular view of the data, such as price distribution histograms and the breakdown of property types (single‑family homes, condos, townhomes, etc.).
6. Take‑away Takeaways
- Great Falls dominates the Great Falls MSA as the most expensive housing market, with a median price over $1.2 million and more than a third of its listings above the $1 million threshold.
- Price growth is robust—the 2023 median price increased by roughly 9 % year‑over‑year, a figure that outpaces most other Montana markets.
- Demand is driven by lifestyle, location, and limited inventory. The city’s natural beauty, improved infrastructure, and reputation for quality schools are the main pull factors.
- Regional comparison shows Great Falls is competitive with Bozeman and Billings, but with a more concentrated high‑end segment.
- The article’s hyperlinks are a valuable resource for buyers, sellers, and investors looking to dive deeper into the specifics of each market segment.
In conclusion, the article offers a data‑rich, accessible guide to the most expensive real‑estate markets in the Great Falls metro area, backed by authoritative sources and augmented by a wealth of supplementary resources. For anyone interested in the dynamics of Montana’s luxury housing market, it provides both a macro view of trends and a micro look at specific neighborhoods that command premium prices.
Read the Full montanarightnow Article at:
[ https://www.montanarightnow.com/news/state/cities-with-the-most-expensive-homes-in-the-great-falls-metro-area/collection_7ca57227-2f19-5da3-9efa-390a80702751.html ]
