The Town FilesSun Prairie, Montana
Community in Cascade County · population 1,615 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $164,100
- Household income
- $55,688
- Jan low / Jul high
- 15° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 66 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 49.0
Sun Prairie is a community of 1,615 people in Cascade County, Montana. The median home is worth $164,100, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). It ranks quieter than 78% of Montana towns, better for first-time buyers than 75% of Montana towns.
How Sun Prairie ranks
Percentile among Montana towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Montana towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Sun Prairie is worth $164,100, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $55,688, which is more affordable than 84% of Montana towns. 99.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sun Prairie | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $164,100 | $249,800 |
| Median rent | — | $893 |
| Median household income | $55,688 | $63,249 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.9× | 4.2× |
| Homeownership | 99.3% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1981 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Sun Prairie
| People | Sun Prairie | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.0 | 40.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.6% | 19.6% |
| Under 18 | 22.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.6% | 25.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.9% | 10.9% |
| Veterans | 18.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 4.0% | — |
| Work from home | 11.4% | 8.5% |
| Average commute | 20.0 min | 19.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 76.1% | 86.6% |
Weather in Sun Prairie
July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 15.0°F. About 14.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 66.1 inches of snow (typical Montana town: 44.0 in). Expect about 22 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 168 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sun Prairie since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Montana town. The strongest, an F1, struck on July 3, 1998 about 3.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 3, 1998.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 58 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on July 7, 2022.
Severe weather in Cascade County since 1996
Cascade County has been included in 7 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 31, 2020 | Biological | DR-4508: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3476: Covid-19 |
| June 17, 2011 | Severe Storm | DR-1996: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| September 13, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3253: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| August 30, 2000 | Fire | DR-1340: Wildfires |
Jobs and pay in Cascade County
Cascade County had 36,513 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,412 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in Sun Prairie itself the ACS puts it at 0%.
Towns near Sun Prairie
- Vaughn, MT3.6 mi · 737 people · home $175,300
- Ulm, MT8.0 mi · 723 people · home $369,400
- Great Falls, MT9.1 mi · 60,442 people · home $257,000
- Black Eagle, MT10.7 mi · 949 people · home $190,400
- Malmstrom AFB, MT14.4 mi · 4,131 people · home —
- Cascade, MT20.4 mi · 600 people · home $247,600
- Fairfield, MT23.6 mi · 759 people · home $217,400
- Belt, MT28.1 mi · 510 people · home $171,700
Sun Prairie questions
Is Sun Prairie, Montana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sun Prairie scores better for retirees than 15% of Montana towns and quieter than 78%. 17.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.0).
How much does a house cost in Sun Prairie?
The median owner-occupied home in Sun Prairie is valued at $164,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $55,688, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Sun Prairie?
July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 15.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 14.8 inches of precipitation a year and 66.1 inches of snow.
Does Sun Prairie get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sun Prairie since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on July 3, 1998. The typical Montana town has had 1.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)