Map the Block › Places › Montana › Cascade County
Cascade County, Montana in numbers: crime, income, hazards
FBI reports put Cascade County at 5.1 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 16% higher than the rate for Montana (4.4). Median household income is $67,690 and the unemployment rate was 3.3% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 84,606 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Cascade County?
From 2021 through 2025, Cascade County averaged 429 reported violent crimes a year, along with 2,721 property crimes. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 5.1: 16% higher than the Montana rate (4.4), and 38% higher than the national rate (3.7). Property crime ran at 32.4 per 1,000, against 17.8 statewide. Aggravated assaults make up 82% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 4 homicide deaths a year in the county (4.3 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Cascade County | Per 1,000 | Montana per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 429 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 2 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 52 | 0.62 | 0.61 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 23 | 0.27 | 0.22 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 351 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 2,721 | 32.4 | 17.8 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 286 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 2,243 | 26.7 | 13.9 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 192 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (2 agencies; 99% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Cascade County?
Half of households in Cascade County make more than $67,690 and half make less; across Montana the midpoint is $72,509. The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $265,300 by its owners; renters pay a median $939. 10.4% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 7.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.3% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,261 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Cascade County | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 84,606 | 1,116,875 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $67,690 | $72,509 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $265,300 | $375,800 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $939 | $1,081 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 3.3% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 13.1% | 11.5% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 10.4% | 7.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 28.4% | 35.2% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 68.5% | 69.2% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 38.6 | 40.4 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 89.2% | 89.4% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 7.0% | 8.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Cascade County?
Cascade County carries a “Relatively Moderate” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 2 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Cascade County: Carpenter Snow Creek Mining District and Acm Smelter And Refinery. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
Cascade County has 5 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 4 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Morony Dam (107 ft) and Cochrane Dam (105 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
3 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 643,711 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
No federal major disaster declaration covered Cascade County from 2016 through 2025 (COVID-19 excluded). EPA air monitors logged 0 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 47 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 1 (highest). NHTSA counted 11 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 1 pedestrian.
Is there road construction in Cascade County?
Montana does not publish an open highway work-zone feed that we can read yet, so road construction in Cascade County is not on our map. Check the state's 511 traveler site for current closures.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Cascade County?
Cascade County has 45 public schools (2024-25) and 5 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 4 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 22 fire or EMS stations and 3 police or sheriff stations. 5 state parks or recreation areas: First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park, Giant Springs State Park, Sluice Boxes State Park, Smith River State Park and Tower Rock State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Cascade County
Gun shops
10 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Cascade County, plus 44 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 4 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Alias Smith & Jones Pawn INC (Great Falls), Capital Jewelry And Loan Gf (Great Falls), First Security Pawn INC (Great Falls), Groves Firearms (Great Falls), North 40 Outfitters (2 in Great Falls), Pawn-A-Rama (Great Falls), Scheels All Sports INC (Great Falls), Walmart #2455 (Great Falls) and 1 more.
Liquor stores
3 liquor stores are on the map in Cascade County: Montana Agency Liquor Store #139 (Great Falls), Montana Agency Liquor Store #140 (Great Falls) and Montana Agency Liquor Store #141 (Great Falls).
Planned Parenthood
One Planned Parenthood health center is on the map in Cascade County: Planned Parenthood of Montana: Great Falls Clinic (Great Falls).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Cascade County?
Cascade County averaged 429 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 5.1 per 1,000 residents, 16% higher than the Montana rate (4.4). The property-crime rate was 32.4 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Cascade County?
$67,690 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $72,509 for Montana and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Cascade County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.3% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,261 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Cascade County?
Cascade County carries a “Relatively Moderate” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here.
Are there Superfund sites in Cascade County?
EPA lists 2 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Cascade County: Carpenter Snow Creek Mining District and Acm Smelter And Refinery.
How many nursing homes are in Cascade County?
4 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Cascade County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chouteau County | 5,906 | 1.9 | $58,218 |
| Judith Basin County | 2,071 | 0.77 | $59,000 |
| Lewis and Clark County | 73,464 | 4.3 | $78,237 |
| Meagher County | 2,007 | 1.7 | $71,932 |
| Teton County | 6,353 | 1.9 | $70,430 |
Cities in Cascade County with their own page: Great Falls.
More: Montana statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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