Great Falls

Great Falls is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Cascade County. The population was 60,442 according to the 2020 census. The city covers an area of 22.9 square miles (59 km2) and is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County. The Great Falls MSA's population was 84,414 according to the 2020 census.Wikipedia

The Mountain West has experienced one of the most dramatic demographic transformations of any American region over the past fifteen years. Colorado's Front Range — Fort Collins through Denver to Colorado Springs — has absorbed hundreds of thousands of new residents drawn by mountain access and a strong multi-sector economy across aerospace, energy, biotech, and tech. Salt Lake City's startup ecosystem has grown quietly into one of the most productive per-capita in the country. Boise and Missoula have emerged from obscurity into genuine destination cities.

The cost of this transformation has been housing. Denver and Bozeman have seen appreciation that rivals coastal markets, driven by limited developable land, in-migration pressure, and the sustained appeal of ski slope and trailhead access. Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho retain large stretches of genuine affordability and open space — but tradeoffs include isolation, limited rural healthcare, and economies still dependent on extractive industries. Wildfire risk, driven by worsening drought cycles, is an increasingly material homebuying consideration across the entire region.