Photo: Montanabw · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Great Falls is healthier than 64%
Great Falls trails Montana on 10 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Great Falls. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Great Falls
More Great Falls adults get no exercise
1 in 4 adults get no exercise outside work (24.1%), vs 20.6% across Montana. There are 13 miles of trails across 59 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓
Great Falls sleeps less
35.6% of adults sleep under 7 hours a night, vs 31.4% across Montana. Habits ↓
Great Falls is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Great Falls is healthier than 44%. Against the 9,627 towns with similar household incomes ($48K–$79K), it’s healthier than 64%. Health Grade ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Montana figure falls outside Great Falls’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
What’s behind Great Falls’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Great Falls is healthier than 44% of U.S. towns, #31 of 41 in Montana. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 71% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 16%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Great Falls’ median household income is $63,373; among the 9,627 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($48K–$79K), it’s healthier than 64%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Most Montana towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Great Falls is healthier than 25% of graded towns, against 44% nationally.
Everyday habits, side by side with Montana
Share of adults, with the Montana figure marked.
13 miles of trails across 59 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Great Falls adults…
Great Falls runs above MT on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Great Falls
2 hospitals and 1 community health center in Great Falls, plus the nearest just outside it.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Great Falls; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Keeping up with care
Share of Great Falls adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Montana.
How Great Falls adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Great Falls runs above Montana.
1 in 3 Great Falls adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10.3% of Great Falls adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.3% across Montana.
Great Falls and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls | C+ | 35.8% | 10.7% | 15% | CDC place |
| Black Eagle | — | — | — | — | |
| Malmstrom AFB | A− | 32.4% | 2.9% | 11.2% | CDC place |
| Gibson Flats | — | — | — | — |
Black Eagle and Gibson Flats: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Great Falls adults live with a disability (Montana 30.9%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Great Falls
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Great Falls is better than Montana on 0 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Montana figure falls inside Great Falls’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Great Falls | MT | U.S. | vs MT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.1%18.9–23.4 | 18.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.6%14–17.3 | 14% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.2%17.3–21.3 | 17.2% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.8%31.5–40.1 | 31.4% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 10.7%9.4–12 | 9.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 34.3%31.4–37.3 | 31.9% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.7%31.6–37.8 | 32.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 31.6%29.1–34.2 | 28.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.6%11.3–14.1 | 11.1% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.3%8.5–10.1 | 9.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.8%6.2–7.5 | 6.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.9%7.1–8.7 | 7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.5–4.1 | 3.5% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.5%11.3–15.9 | 12.3% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15%13.2–17 | 13.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 24.1%21.2–27.2 | 20.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 19.6%17–22.4 | 20.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.6%31.9–39.6 | 31.4% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10%8.7–11.5 | 9.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.3%71.3–77.2 | 72.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 61.4%58.3–64.3 | 63.3% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.9%80–83.7 | 82.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.5%71.7–77.1 | 73.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.4%62.6–70.1 | 63.8% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.2%71.6–82.2 | 74.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 27.5%24.5–30.7 | 24.9% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.8%30.3–37.4 | 30.7% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.6%20–25.5 | 21.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14%12.3–15.8 | 11.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.2%8.9–11.6 | 9.1% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.6%6.6–8.6 | 6.5% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.5%7.5–9.5 | 7.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.3%9–11.8 | 8.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.4%32.3–38.7 | 30.9% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.9%13.3–16.6 | 12.9% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16%14.5–17.8 | 14.3% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.3%8.4–10.3 | 8.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.3%4.8–5.7 | 4.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9%8.1–10 | 8% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.9%3.6–4.3 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Higher |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Montana figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Great Falls
Is Great Falls a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Great Falls is healthier than 44% of U.S. towns: C+ for health, #31 of 41 in Montana. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Great Falls?
CDC estimates 35.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.5% and 40.1%, against 31.4% across Montana and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Great Falls?
Benefis Hospitals in Great Falls, 1.9 miles in a straight line from Great Falls’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Great Falls have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.7–11.5%), against 9.3% across Montana.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Great Falls more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Great Falls.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Montana figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.