Where to live

Where to live near Malmstrom AFB

3 towns within about an hour of the main post area: drive time, rent, home values and the school district for each.

Town centers and the main post area. Dot size is population.

Quick answers

ClosestGreat Falls13 min drive
Lowest median rentFort Benton$736 a month
Most E-5 BAH left overFort Benton$806 over a 2-bedroom
3 towns, closest first

Towns around Malmstrom AFB

The green or red number is an E-5 with dependents' 2026 BAH ($1,608) minus that town's median 2-bedroom rent. Check your own pay grade.

Great Falls, MT

13 min drive · 5.9 road mi
Median rent
$900
2 bedrooms
$956
3 bedrooms
$1,198
Home value
$257,000
People
60,329
Homes rented
34%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$652 a month

Great Falls Elementary School District (high school: Great Falls High School District): 17 schools, 6,899 students, 15.2 students per teacher. District facts

Vaughn, MT

27 min drive · 19 road mi
Median rent
$946
2 bedrooms
-
3 bedrooms
-
Home value
$175,300
People
1,002
Homes rented
13%

E-5 BAH left over after the median rent: +$662 a month

Vaughn Elementary School District (high school: Simms High School District): 3 schools, 143 students, 13 students per teacher. District facts

Fort Benton, MT

59 min drive · 45.1 road mi
Median rent
$736
2 bedrooms
$802
3 bedrooms
-
Home value
$247,600
People
1,474
Homes rented
20%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$806 a month

Fort Benton Elementary School District (high school: Fort Benton High School District): 2 schools, 234 students, 13 students per teacher. District facts

Where these numbers come from

  • Towns: every town, city and census place of 1,000 or more people within about an hour's drive, from the U.S. Census Bureau.
  • Drive time: from each town's center to the main post area on OpenStreetMap roads, without traffic, so rush hour runs longer.
  • Rent, home value, renters: Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 medians. They include long-time renters and utilities, so new leases usually cost more. Use them to compare towns, and the HUD rent on the BAH page for today's level.
  • Schools: the public district that covers each town's center, with size from the NCES Common Core of Data (2023-24). Confirm the school for a specific address with the district.

Updated October 12, 2026. How we get our numbers.

Malmstrom AFB base guide   Malmstrom AFB BAH   Other bases

FAQ

Living near Malmstrom AFB

What is the closest town to Malmstrom Air Force Base?

Great Falls, MT is about 13 minutes from the main post area (5.9 road miles) without traffic.

Which town near Malmstrom Air Force Base has the lowest rent?

Fort Benton, MT, where the Census median rent is $736 a month (rent plus utilities, 2020-2024 average). New leases usually cost more than the median, so check current listings too.

Does BAH cover rent near Malmstrom Air Force Base?

For an E-5 with dependents the 2026 DoD BAH is $1,608 a month. That is at or above the Census median 2-bedroom rent in 2 of the 2 towns here with a Census figure for that size, with the most left over in Fort Benton, MT.

What school district serves Great Falls?

Great Falls Elementary School District, with 17 schools and 6,899 students (15.2 students per teacher), from the NCES Common Core of Data. Always confirm the school for a specific address with the district.