Malmstrom AFB sits on the eastern edge of Great Falls, Montana, home to the 341st Missile Wing and a stretch of high plains that most families never expected to love as much as they end up loving it. The housing market here is genuinely simple by military standards. Cost of living runs low, BAH covers most rentals comfortably, and the biggest decision most families face is whether they want the on-base community feel or a bit more space in town.
Explore Malmstrom AFB Housing GuideMalmstrom sits just east of Great Falls, and because the base and the city are so close together, most families end up choosing between the on-base community and a straightforward rental or purchase within Great Falls itself. This isn't a multi-installation base with a complicated commute calculation. The real decision is simpler: consolidated base living, or more flexibility and space in town.
Always verify your specific housing requirements and school options with the Housing Management Office or Military & Family Readiness Center before finalizing an off-base lease.
Montana winters are real, and Great Falls sees genuine snow and wind. Drive your actual route in winter conditions if you can before signing a lease, since a commute that feels easy in July can look different in January.
One of the more accessible Air Force housing markets, with BAH generally covering rent comfortably.
An E-5 with dependents receives $1,605 per month in 2026, up 7.6% from 2025. Families with dependents receive about 19.3% more than those without.
$200,000 to $280,000 for E-5 to O-3 with dependents using a VA loan in Great Falls.
Well below national average. Montana has no state sales tax, and BAH rates here comfortably cover most local rentals.
Malmstrom AFB falls under its own Military Housing Area, and the 2026 rates rank 58th highest of all Air Force bases nationwide, which reflects Great Falls's genuinely low cost of living rather than a shortage of housing. Median home prices near the base run around $305,000, well below the national median, and most rentals in Great Falls fall comfortably within BAH for E-5 and above. Verify your exact rate at the DoD BAH Rate Lookup using your specific pay grade and dependency status before setting a budget.
Reach out to the M&FRC for the Montana-specific newcomer guide, which covers everything from winter driving to local services that families relocating from warmer climates often don't think to ask about.
Families who research Montana's winter conditions and confirm their BAH figure before house-hunting consistently report an easier transition than those who assume Great Falls will feel like their last duty station. The pace here is different, and most families end up genuinely appreciating it once they settle in.
Approximately for Great Falls.
Covered comfortably for most pay grades based on HUD fair market rent benchmarks.
Reasonable inventory across Great Falls neighborhoods.
One of the most accessible Air Force housing markets.
One of the more accessible Air Force housing markets in the country, where BAH stretches comfortably toward both renting and buying in a genuinely low-cost city.
Our agents know Great Falls and the surrounding Malmstrom community from real experience working with Air Force families here. They understand the on-base versus off-base decision, Montana's seasonal realities, and how far BAH genuinely goes in one of the more affordable markets in the country.
"We almost defaulted to on-base housing without realizing how much more space our BAH could get us in town. Our agent walked us through both options honestly."
"First winter in Montana and our agent had already warned us about drive times changing with the weather. That heads-up made a real difference."
"We bought instead of renting because the numbers made so much sense here. Our agent ran the math on the VA loan before we even started touring homes."
Everything you need to know about military housing and PCSing near the base
