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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Columbia Falls, MT Real Estate Market

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:
  • Home Values, Rents: Reflects Q4 2023. Updated quarterly.
  • Setting, Housing Stock, Homeownership: 2022 (latest available). Updated annually.

Methodology:   NeighborhoodScout uses over 600 characteristics to build a neighborhood profile… Read more about Scout's Real Estate Data

Columbia Falls, MT Housing Market Trends

With 5,656 people, 2,064 houses or apartments, and a median cost of homes of $466,858, Columbia Falls real estate prices are well above average cost compared to national prices.

Single-family detached homes are the single most common housing type in Columbia Falls, accounting for 66.01% of the city's housing units. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Columbia Falls include duplexes, homes converted to apartments or other small apartment buildings ( 14.11%), large apartment complexes or high rise apartments ( 12.26%), and a few row houses and other attached homes ( 3.87%).

The most prevalent building size and type in Columbia Falls are three and four bedroom dwellings, chiefly found in single-family detached homes. The city has a mixture of owners and renters, with 62.41% owning and 37.59% renting.

There is a lot of housing in Columbia Falls built from 1970 to 1999 so parts of town may have that "Brady Bunch" look of homes popular in the '70s and early '80s, although some of these houses were built up through the early '90s as well. There is also a lot of housing in Columbia Falls built between 2000 and later ( 31.20%). A lesser amount of the housing stock also hails from between 1940-1969 ( 18.29%). There's also some housing in Columbia Falls built before 1939 ( 6.45%).

Vacant housing appears to be an issue in Columbia Falls. Fully 11.19% of the housing stock is classified as vacant. Left unchecked, vacant Columbia Falls homes and apartments can be a drag on the real estate market, holding Columbia Falls real estate prices below levels they could achieve if vacant housing was absorbed into the market and became occupied. Housing vacancy rates are a useful measure to consider, along with other things, if you are a home buyer or a real estate investor.

Columbia Falls Home Appreciation Rates

In the last 10 years, Columbia Falls has experienced some of the highest home appreciation rates of any community in the nation. Columbia Falls real estate appreciated 166.48% over the last ten years, which is an average annual home appreciation rate of 10.30%, putting Columbia Falls in the top 10% nationally for real estate appreciation. If you are a home buyer or real estate investor, Columbia Falls definitely has a track record of being one of the best long term real estate investments in America through the last ten years.

Over the last year, Columbia Falls appreciation rates have trailed the rest of the nation. In the last twelve months, Columbia Falls's appreciation rate has been 4.04%, which is lower than appreciation rates in most communities in America. In the latest quarter, NeighborhoodScout's data show that house appreciation rates in Columbia Falls were at -1.72%, which equates to an annual appreciation rate of -6.72%.

Notably, Columbia Falls's appreciation rate in the latest quarter is one of the lowest in America.

Relative to Montana, our data show that Columbia Falls's latest annual appreciation rate is lower than 70% of the other cities and towns in Montana.

Average Home Values

Median Home Value

$466,858

Columbia Falls, MT Home Prices
> $1,478,000
$1,108,001 - $1,478,000
$739,001 - $1,108,000
$591,001 - $739,000
$443,001 - $591,000
$296,001 - $443,000
$148,001 - $296,000
$74,001 - $148,000
$0 - $74,000
1.3%
1.3%
1.2%
1.2%
10.4%
10.4%
7.8%
7.8%
25.0%
25.0%
36.2%
36.2%
9.7%
9.7%
0.8%
0.8%
7.6%
7.6%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes
High

for Montana

Very High

for nation

Number of Homes And Apartments:

2,064

Columbia Falls Appreciation Rates

Rent & Ownership

Average Market Rent:

$1,064 / per month

Homeownership Rate

Owners
Renters
62.4%
62.4%
37.6%
37.6%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Vacancy Rate

Vacant
Occupied
11.2%
11.2%
88.8%
88.8%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Housing Market Details

Age of Homes

2000 or Newer
1970 - 1999
1940 - 1969
1939 or Older
31.2%
31.2%
44.1%
44.1%
18.3%
18.3%
6.5%
6.5%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Types of Homes

Single-Family
Townhomes
Small Apt. Buildings
Apt. Complexes
Mobile Homes
Other
66.0%
66.0%
3.9%
3.9%
14.1%
14.1%
12.3%
12.3%
3.7%
3.7%
0.0%
0.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Home Size

No Bedroom
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 or more bedrooms
2.5%
2.5%
8.2%
8.2%
18.3%
18.3%
47.8%
47.8%
20.2%
20.2%
3.0%
3.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Popular Neighborhoods in Columbia Falls

Popular Communities Near Columbia Falls, MT

Zip Codes in Columbia Falls, MT