Coeur d'Alene Great Falls

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Neutral — Depends on Priorities
Cost Index: 98.3 → 96.8
Rent Delta: -$263/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $263/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $4K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More expensive childcare

Moving from Coeur d'Alene to Great Falls shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 98.3 to 96.8 (100 = US average), so a Coeur d'Alene salary needs to be multiplied by 0.99 to hold the same purchasing power in Great Falls. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,547/month in Coeur d'Alene to $1,284/month in Great Falls - a lower monthly bill of $263, or $3,156/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $64,634 in Coeur d'Alene versus $60,566 in Great Falls - a raw gap of $4,068 lower. The Great Falls labor market has 31,100 tracked jobs against 64,630 in Coeur d'Alene, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Coeur d'Alene and Great Falls are 235 and 426 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 17.1:1 at origin versus 11.8:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $7,315/year in Coeur d'Alene versus $11,466/year in Great Falls. Our composite verdict - Neutral — Depends on Priorities - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Coeur d'Alene
Great Falls
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 98.3
RPP 96.8
Great Falls
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,547/mo
$1,284/mo
Great Falls
💼 Wages
$64,634
$60,566
Coeur d'Alene
🔒 Crime
235 per 100K
426 per 100K
Coeur d'Alene
🎓 Schools
17.1:1
11.8:1
Great Falls
👶 Childcare
$7,315/yr
$11,466/yr
Coeur d'Alene
🌿 Environment
2204 violations
1430 violations
Great Falls

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Coeur d'Alene to see what you'd need to earn in Great Falls to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Great Falls
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Great Falls more expensive than Coeur d'Alene?
Great Falls has an RPP of 96.8 compared to Coeur d'Alene's 98.3 (100 = national average). Coeur d'Alene is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Great Falls is $1,284/mo vs $1,547/mo in Coeur d'Alene.
What are salaries like in Great Falls compared to Coeur d'Alene?
The median salary in Great Falls is $60,566 compared to $64,634 in Coeur d'Alene. That's a -$4,068 difference.
Is Great Falls safer than Coeur d'Alene?
The violent crime rate near Great Falls is 426 per 100K vs 235 per 100K near Coeur d'Alene (state-level data). Coeur d'Alene has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Great Falls to match my Coeur d'Alene salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Coeur d'Alene salary by 0.99. For example, a $75,000 salary in Coeur d'Alene would need to be $73,895 in Great Falls. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" means both metros are roughly equivalent across the 7 dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)