Ulm, Montana (1) Bridge Missouri River, 2013
Ulm’s story
139 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 2 maps from 1951 on.
- 1887Ulm is settled
UlmMT
Today 900 people live in this town, first settled in 1887.
Photo: Chris06 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
900
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$369K
Census ACS
Household income
$103K
median
Median age
37.0
years
Jobs based here
73
A commuter town
Is Ulm a good place to live?
No town among the 43 in Montana we compare has a higher owner-occupancy rate than Ulm. 13% of the land in Ulm is conserved, against 9.2% in Montana’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Ulm has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
900 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Ulm: who provides what
Ulm is unincorporated, so Cascade County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNorthWestern Energy14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFairhaven Colony water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers71% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesCascade CountyCascade County provides services here
SchoolsCascade High School DistrictUlm Elementary School District2 districts serve Ulm; 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 codes59485, 5940459485 89% · 59404 11%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 Ulm.
Work & commute
Compared with most of Montana and the rest of the country, the average trip to work in Ulm is longer
The top destinations are Great Falls (42%), Helena (6%) and Fairfield (3%). Among 43 Montana towns, just 2 have a higher median household income than Ulm. This Montana town had 73 jobs in 2023, up 24 from 2013. Half commute less than 14 miles.
0%work in town
| Ulm | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $103,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Ulm0%
Great Falls42%
Helena6%
Fairfield3%
Billings3%
14 mi
median commute distance
73
jobs based in Ulm
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Ulm’s kids attend
Public schools: the Ulm Elementary District. One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. 2 public schools serve Ulm, with 84 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulm SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 69 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Ulm’s year
In July, afternoons reach 84°; in January, nights fall to 14°, and about 66 inches of snow falls in a winter.
66″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–37°
Spring30–57°
Summer49–81°
Fall32–58°
Sep 24
typical first frost
May 19
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More children than Montana overall
Among adults 25 and older, 30% have a four-year degree or more, against 35% across Montana. Children under 18 are 29% of residents (21% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (37% statewide).
37median age · MT 40.4
| Ulm | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 30% | 29% |
UlmMontanaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school43%
Some college13%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s15%
Graduate14%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 25% and 71% women
The Census survey reached too few of Ulm’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±22.7 points. Across Montana, 49.3% of residents are women.
| Ulm | MT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 22.2% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.8% | 10% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.6% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.8% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.6% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.8% | 12.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.2% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.7% | 5.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 43% | 27.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.1% | 22.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.4% | 9.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.4% | 23.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.3% | 12% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
Outdoors
Ulm keeps 13.4% of its land conserved
The trail network density in Ulm is 0.2 miles per square mile.
13.4%conserved
13.4%
conserved · 1,781 of 13,259 acres
3.5 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
High risk in Ulm, with inland flooding at the top
Households in Ulm have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2011. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 63% of U.S. communities.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesAvalanches
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
A larger share of adults in Ulm have high blood pressure than in the typical Montana or U.S. town
Just over a fifth of adults say their health is fair or poor in Ulm. No town among the 42 in Montana we compare has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Ulm. Against the Montana average, Ulm comes out ahead on 4 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 13.
| Ulm | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 32% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 72% | 79% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Montana
4 better15 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Ulm | MT |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.4% | 73.4% |
| More adults getting a yearly checkup | 77.1% | 72.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 7% |
Benefis Hospitals
13.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
$532Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ulm
17pages on Ulm
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Ulm
Great Falls College Montana State UniversityCommunity college · Public · Great Falls12.7 mi$4,028 in-state tuitionUniversity of ProvidenceUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Great Falls12.7 mi$30,448 tuition
About 1 of every 100 Ulm residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Ulm for work
Where Ulm’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
73jobs based in Ulm
0%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Ulm
CDP in Montana, United States
Ulm is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cascade County, Montana, United States. It was originally a large ranch owned by Indiana-born cattleman William Ulm. As of the 2020 census, Ulm had a population of 723. It is part of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The post office opened in 1883. In 1887 Ulm became a stop on the Montana Central Railway. A bridge across the Missouri River was built in 1914.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 21 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,350 ft
- ZIP code
- 59485
Questions about Ulm
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ulm, MT a good place to live?
Ulm has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.