Greatfallsaab-1944, 1944
Malmstrom AFB’s story
Malmstrom AFB in pictures
The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1942 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
Explore the history →
Malmstrom AFBMT
A town of 4,302.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: U.S. Air Force photo · Public domain
Population
4,302
Census survey, 2020–24
Household income
$65K
median
Median age
22.5
years
Jobs based here
221
A commuter town
TownGrade
C+
#22 of 41 in MT
Is Malmstrom AFB a good place to live?
Malmstrom AFB grades C+ overall, 22nd of 41 graded towns in Montana, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Residents are healthier than 78% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and natural-hazard risk is low. On the other side, the typical home is worth about , years of the Great Falls metro’s $68K median household income. 34% of residents are under 18 in Malmstrom AFB, where Montana’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 22%. On cost of living, just 4 of Montana’s 95 towns do worse. Malmstrom AFB has 1 place on the National Register.
What makes Malmstrom AFB stand out
Where Malmstrom AFB beats most towns.
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
32 measures vs. Montana
10 better7 too close to call15 worse
| Widest gap | Malmstrom AFB | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 1.6% | 9.3% |
HealthA−
Trails MT on 15 of 32 CDC measures, beats it on 10
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
0historic places
History
0 historic places
A long history
Listed for their history, architecture or both.
A growing town
Malmstrom AFB has grown 19% from 2010 to 2020
3,472 counted in 2010 and 4,131 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Malmstrom AFB grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Montana), ordered by how far Malmstrom AFB is from typical.
Cost of livingHome prices against what area households earnDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 14% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listAOpen →HealthGreat Falls Clinic Hospital 3.7 miles awayA−Open →SchoolsBeat 60% of Montana districts on tests and graduationBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.8 of 20; 1% of households have no car; 4.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Jobs & income$65K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Malmstrom AFB: who provides what
Malmstrom AFB is unincorporated, so Cascade County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNorthWestern Energy14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMalmstrom Air Force Base water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesCascade CountyCascade County provides services here
SchoolsGreat Falls High School DistrictGreat Falls Elementary School District2 districts serve Malmstrom AFB; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteIn personMontana has no online registration; you can register in person up to and including Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCascade County Election AdministratorCascade County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2024
ZIP code5940559405 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Malmstrom AFB.
Malmstrom AFB has less cancer than most of Montana, has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and is mostly renters.
Who lives here
Malmstrom AFB stands out in Montana and nationally: the median age there is lower
Only 0.9% of households own their home, against 69.2% across Montana.
The median age in Malmstrom AFB is 22.5 years. Adults 18 to 34 are 52% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 14% of residents (37% statewide). 37% of Malmstrom AFB adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
22.5median age · MT 40.4
| Malmstrom AFB | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 22.5 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 30% | 29% |
Malmstrom AFBMontanaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
28%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma0%
High school14%
Some college30%
Associate’s19%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
45% women, 55% men
About 124 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.1 points). Across Montana, 49.3% of residents are women. Median age: women 23.4, men 22.2.
| Malmstrom AFB | MT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 26.2% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.5% | 10% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 27.5% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 24.9% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.6% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 1.3% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 0% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 0% | 12.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 0% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0.4% | 5.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 13.6% | 27.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 30.4% | 22.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 19% | 9.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.9% | 23.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.7% | 12% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,300, single groups can be off by several points
OutdoorsC+
0% of Malmstrom AFB is conserved land
6.2 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Malmstrom AFB’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile.
#14for trails in MT
0%
conserved · 0 of 3,241 acres
6.2 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Cold waves leads a very low hazard risk in Malmstrom AFB
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities.
14risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingWinter weather
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthA−
A smaller share of adults have diabetes in Malmstrom AFB than in most of Montana or the rest of the country
Its widest gap with Montana is cancer: 1.6% of its 2,840 adults have had cancer, against 9.3% statewide. Against the 9,908 U.S. towns with household incomes like Malmstrom AFB’s, it is healthier than 95%, so its A− isn’t only a matter of income.
2.9% of adults have diabetes in Malmstrom AFB. No town among the 41 in Montana we compare has a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Malmstrom AFB. 15% of adults have high blood pressure in Malmstrom AFB.
78%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Malmstrom AFB | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 2.9% | 10% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 20% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 32% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Montana
10 better7 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Malmstrom AFB | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 1.6% | 9.3% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 1.3% | 6.6% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 12.3% | 7.5% |
Great Falls Clinic Hospital
3.7 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
73rd
percentile among MT towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Malmstrom AFB’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Malmstrom AFB for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Malmstrom AFB has added 57 jobs, to 221 in 2023. The top destinations are Great Falls (44%), Billings (7%) and Missoula (5%).
4%work in town
| Malmstrom AFB | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 4.1% | 41% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $68,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Malmstrom AFB4%
Great Falls44%
Billings7%
Missoula5%
Bozeman4%
7 mi
median commute distance
221
jobs based in Malmstrom AFB
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 44% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Malmstrom AFB
The Great Falls Intl Ap weather station, 10 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 126 days, shorter than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Malmstrom AFB has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 13° and about 66 inches of snow falls in a winter.
66″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–36°
Spring30–56°
Summer50–81°
Fall32–58°
Sep 24
typical first frost
May 19
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nearby attractions
All 4 attractions →Great Falls and 2 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Malmstrom AFB. Close and well known come first.
5 mi WaterfallGreat Falls
5 mi MuseumC. M. Russell Museum Complex31K visitors a year
5 mi MuseumParis Gibson Square Museum of Art29K visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Great Falls: Tim1965, Public domain · C. M. Russell Museum Complex: Roger Wollstadt, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art: Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Malmstrom AFB
16pages on Malmstrom AFB
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Malmstrom AFB
University of ProvidenceUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Great Falls4.2 mi$30,448 tuitionGreat Falls College Montana State UniversityCommunity college · Public · Great Falls4.3 mi$4,028 in-state tuition
About 10 of every 100 Malmstrom AFB residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Malmstrom AFB for work
Where Malmstrom AFB’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
221jobs based in Malmstrom AFB
4%of working residents work in town
7 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Malmstrom AFB
Military base in Montana, United States
Malmstrom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Cascade County, Montana, United States, adjacent to the city of Great Falls. It was named in honor of World War II POW Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom. Malmstrom AFB is the largest of three US Air Force Bases that maintain and operate the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. It is the home of the 341st Missile Wing (341 MW) of the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Malmstrom Air Force Base as a census-designated place (CDP). It had a population of 3,472 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,471 ft
Malmstrom AFB’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Malmstrom AFB.
Great FallsMalmstrom AFB
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malmstrom AFB | #22 | C+ | D | — | B | A− |
| Great Falls | #32 | C− | C+ | D | B | C+ |
Malmstrom AFB reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Malmstrom AFB with a neighbor →
Questions about Malmstrom AFB
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Malmstrom AFB, MT a good place to live?
Malmstrom AFB grades C+ overall, better than 39% of U.S. towns and #22 of 41 in Montana. It grades A− for health and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.