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Montana›Cascade County

VaughnMT

A town of 1,002, settled in 1911.

Is Vaughn a good place to live?

The best of Vaughn’s subject grades is an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a C− for schools. 1.7% of working residents work locally in Vaughn, below both Montana’s towns (39%) and U.S. towns (8%). Among 43 Montana towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Vaughn. 0.4% of the land in Vaughn is conserved, where Montana’s towns sit at 9.2% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Robert Vaughn Homestead is on the National Register of Historic Places. Vaughn has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

What makes Vaughn stand out

Where Vaughn beats most towns.

Small town

1,002 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Sun PrairieSun PrairieVaughn

How Vaughn grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Montana), ordered by how far Vaughn is from typical.

How grading works

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 Vaughn: who provides what

Vaughn is unincorporated, so Cascade County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerNorthWestern Energy14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVaughn Cascade County Water and SewerNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesCascade CountyCascade County provides services here
SchoolsVaughn Elementary School DistrictSimms High School District2 districts serve Vaughn; 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.gov
Who runs elections hereCascade County Election AdministratorCascade County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2024
ZIP codes59487, 5940459487 87% · 59404 13%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 Vaughn.

SchoolsC−

On state tests, Vaughn’s schools trail 76% of Montana districts

Its public schools are run by the Vaughn Elementary District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.

24%of MT districts it outscoresC−School Grade
SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Vaughn ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5Grades PK–593C+

NCES · EDFacts · graded within MT on state tests and graduation

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−

More than half of Vaughn’s working residents commute to Great Falls

Most working residents leave Vaughn for work: only 2% work in town. Vaughn’s average trip to work is 23 minutes. The top destinations are Great Falls (54%), Missoula (3%) and Billings (3%).

2%work in town
VaughnMontana townsU.S. towns
Average trip to work23 minutes17 minutes25 minutes
Below the poverty line8.7%10%9.6%

Where working residents work

In Vaughn2%
Great Falls54%
Missoula3%
Billings3%
Helena2%
14 mi
median commute distance
90
jobs based in Vaughn
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 61% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

In Vaughn, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers

Vaughn has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 13° and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.

49″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter14–37°
Spring30–56°
Summer49–81°
Fall32–58°
Sep 10
typical first frost
Jun 2
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HousingCost of living grade A−

Homes in Vaughn are worth about $381K, by Zillow’s estimate

The typical Vaughn home is worth about $381,000, up 4.3% in a year, 18% below the Montana typical home. 87% of households own their home in Vaughn.

$381KZillow home value
VaughnMontana townsU.S. towns
Households that own their home87%64%73%
Median rent$946 a month$1,000 a month$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Vaughn$381K
Montana$467K
+4.3%
value change, 1 year

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+

Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Vaughn

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities.

63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
63High riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingCold wavesAvalanches
1
federal disasters paid out here

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

HealthC+

Vaughn is less healthy than 61% of U.S. towns

Vaughn beats the Montana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 28% of Vaughn adults have been diagnosed with depression.

39%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
VaughnMontana townsU.S. towns
Depression (CDC PLACES)28%25%23%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)20%20%16%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)19%18%17%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)16%14%14%
32 measures vs. Montana
1 better26 too close to call5 worse
What stands outVaughnMT
More adults screened for colon cancer68.4%63.8%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth16.8%12.3%
Benefis Hospitals
14.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

OutdoorsC+

Vaughn’s grade for the outdoors is a C+

The trail density in Vaughn is 1.0 miles per square mile. 3.6 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.

0.4%conserved
0.4%
conserved · 9 of 2,273 acres
3.6 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Vaughn

18pages on Vaughn
After high school

Colleges nearby

2 within 15 miles of the center of Vaughn

A commuter town

98% of working residents leave Vaughn for work

Where Vaughn’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

54% → Great Falls Great Falls 54% 3% → Missoula Missoula 3% 3% → Billings Billings 3% 2% → Helena Helena 2% 1% → Fairfield Fairfield 1% 1% → Kalispell Kalispell 1% Vaughn · 2% stay
90jobs based in Vaughn
2%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Vaughn

CDP in Montana, United States

Vaughn is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 737 at the 2020 census, compared to 658 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is named for Montana pioneer Robert Vaughn, whose homestead on the Vaughn Ranch encompassed part of the town.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
3.6 sq mi
Elevation
3,366 ft
ZIP code
59487

Questions about Vaughn

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Vaughn, MT expensive?

Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.