Great Falls, MT vs Billings, MT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Billings, MT spends 44% more per resident than Great Falls, MT: $12,501 against $8,656. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Billings, MT holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 54/100 (grade C) for Great Falls, MT — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Billings, MT carries the lighter load at $1,158 per resident versus $1,490 for Great Falls, MT. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Great Falls, MT at $1,064 per resident and in Billings, MT at $883.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Great Falls, MT at 100% of total revenue, whereas Billings, MT relies most on other revenue at 17%.
Summary
Billings spends 30.8% more per capita than Great Falls ($3,844/person difference). Billings, MT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $48 | $787 |
| Sales Tax | $595 | $251 |
| Income Tax | $882 | $1,706 |
| Intergovernmental | $10,814 | $1,539 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,342 | $2,714 |
| Other | $2,571 | $2,720 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $251 | $145 |
| Public Welfare | $755 | $1,929 |
| Health | $229 | $330 |
| Hospitals | $525 | $105 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,064 | $883 |
| Housing | $1,988 | $2,463 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $195 |
| Utilities | $1,755 | $2,914 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $535 |
| Other | $2,089 | $3,002 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.