Great Falls, MT health
Great Falls differs from Montana on 10 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults facing food insecurity (14% vs 11.7%) and more adults who get no exercise (24.1% vs 20.6%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Great FallsGreat Falls’s Health Grade: C+
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Great Falls is healthier than 44% of U.S. towns, and than 64% of towns with similar incomes.
Better than its income would suggest. Great Falls is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C+.
How the Health Grade works
- Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in Montana ranking.
- Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
- Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Great Falls with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
- Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Great Falls uses CDC’s own estimate for it. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
How Great Falls compares with Montana
Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.
Chronic conditions
Habits
Care & screenings
Mind & connection
Everyday needs
Disability
Out of every 100 Great Falls adults…
Bars show Great Falls; the black tick is Montana. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
MT 20.6%
MT 31.4%
MT 20.3%
MT 13.6%
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
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.
Living with a disability
of Great Falls adults live with a disability (Montana 30.9%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Black tick: Montana. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Great Falls and the towns around it
Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are hospitals and community health centers in and near Great Falls.
Obesity
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.
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. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 40 measures for Great Falls
| Measure | Great Falls | Margin | Montana | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 34.3% | 31.4–37.3% | 31.9% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 34.7% | 31.6–37.8% | 32.8% | about the same |
| Obesity | 35.8% | 31.5–40.1% | 31.4% | worse |
| Arthritis | 31.6% | 29.1–34.2% | 28.4% | worse |
| Depression | 27.5% | 24.5–30.7% | 24.9% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 13.5% | 11.3–15.9% | 12.3% | about the same |
| Asthma | 12.6% | 11.3–14.1% | 11.1% | worse |
| Cancer (not skin) | 9.3% | 8.5–10.1% | 9.3% | about the same |
| Diabetes | 10.7% | 9.4–12% | 9.9% | about the same |
| COPD | 7.9% | 7.1–8.7% | 7% | worse |
| Heart disease | 6.8% | 6.2–7.5% | 6.6% | about the same |
| Stroke | 3.8% | 3.5–4.1% | 3.5% | about the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15% | 13.2–17% | 13.6% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 19.6% | 17–22.4% | 20.3% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 24.1% | 21.2–27.2% | 20.6% | worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.6% | 31.9–39.6% | 31.4% | worse |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 74.3% | 71.3–77.2% | 72.4% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 61.4% | 58.3–64.3% | 63.3% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 81.9% | 80–83.7% | 82.5% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 66.4% | 62.6–70.1% | 63.8% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 77.2% | 71.6–82.2% | 74.8% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 74.5% | 71.7–77.1% | 73.4% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 10% | 8.7–11.5% | 9.3% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 33.8% | 30.3–37.4% | 30.7% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 22.6% | 20–25.5% | 21.2% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 19.2% | 17.3–21.3% | 17.2% | worse |
| Fair or poor health | 21.1% | 18.9–23.4% | 18.3% | worse |
| Frequent physical distress | 15.6% | 14–17.3% | 14% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 14% | 12.3–15.8% | 11.7% | worse |
| Housing insecurity | 10.2% | 8.9–11.6% | 9.1% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 7.6% | 6.6–8.6% | 6.5% | worse |
| No reliable transportation | 8.5% | 7.5–9.5% | 7.5% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 10.3% | 9–11.8% | 8.3% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.4% | 32.3–38.7% | 30.9% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 14.9% | 13.3–16.6% | 12.9% | |
| Thinking or memory | 16% | 14.5–17.8% | 14.3% | |
| Hearing | 9.3% | 8.4–10.3% | 8.6% | |
| Vision | 5.3% | 4.8–5.7% | 4.6% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 3.9% | 3.6–4.3% | 3.5% | |
| Errands alone | 9% | 8.1–10% | 8% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Montana figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.