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Belt vs Circle

250 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (4× in Circle) and rent (+65% in Belt).

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Belt, MTKnown for its schoolsMontana · 559 people
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Circle, MTA regional job hubMontana · 514 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

BeltKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 94%of MT districts Outdoors16.3% conserved land0.1 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Belt →
CircleA regional job hub
Work326 jobsbased in Circle, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 90%of MT districts Housing$260K typical home45% below the MT typical home All about Circle →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails4×
Circle has more miles of trail
Circle 0.4 miBelt 0.1 mi
Rent+65%
Rent runs higher in Belt
Belt $900Circle $547
Property tax bill+57%
Tax bills are bigger in Circle
Circle $2,179Belt $1,389
Work in town+28.1 pts
More of Circle’s workers stay in town
Circle 33.9%Belt 5.8%
Growth since 2010+10.7 pts
Circle has grown faster since 2010
Circle -3.9%Belt -14.6%
Average commute6 min
Circle has the shorter commute
Belt 21 minCircle 15 min
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $740 more a month in Belt

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Belt$2,380/mo
Typical home $402K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.81% · or rent about $900/mo · Housing →
Circle$1,640/mo
Typical home $260K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.27% · or rent about $547/mo · Housing →

The difference: $740 a month, about $8,800 a year, between Belt and Circle.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Montana ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
ABeltBetter than 94% of districts in the state ACircleBetter than 90% of districts in the state
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
BeltCircle
Snow a year66″—
January low15°F—
July high84°F—
Growing season (days)126d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)75th14th
Outdoors & history
BeltCircle
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land16.3%10%
National Register places21
Archive photos36
Famous people born here22
Community
BeltCircle
Library hours a week30 hrs30 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

250 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BeltMTCircleMT
Belt ↔ Circle250 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

BeltCircle
People
Population 559Highest 514Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -14.6%Lowest MT: +9.6% -3.9%Highest MT: +9.6%
Median age 45.9±9.1Lowest 14% above MT 46.2±12.3Highest 14% above MT
Circle and Belt are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 17.2%±3.9Highest MT: 21% 16.1%±5.8Lowest MT: 21%
Belt and Circle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.3%±11.3Lowest MT: 20.1% 25.5%±7Highest MT: 20.1%
Circle and Belt are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24%Lowest MT: 35.2% 25.3%Highest MT: 35.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.5%±6.3Highest MT: 5.2% 0%±3Lowest MT: 5.2%
Belt and Circle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $73,929±$16kLowest about the MT average $75,417±$23kHighest 4% above MT
Circle and Belt are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $171,700±$45kLowest 54% below MT $171,900±$82kHighest 54% below MT
Circle and Belt are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $900±$217Highest 17% below MT $547±$71Lowest 49% below MT
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,389Lowest 48% below MT $2,179Highest 19% below MT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 58.9%±33.7Highest MT: 44.8% 40.5%±46.6Lowest MT: 44.8%
Belt and Circle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.2%Highest MT: 11.5% 6.3%Lowest MT: 11.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 75%Lowest MT: 69.2% 84.6%Highest MT: 69.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1964Highest 17 yrs older than MT 1958Lowest 23 yrs older than MT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minHighest 9% above MT 15 minLowest 21% below MT
Work from home 0.9%±1.4Lowest MT: 12.5% 6%±4.9Highest MT: 12.5%
Circle and Belt are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 5.8%Lowest 33.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.3 miLowest 46.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.11Lowest 1.91Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Great Falls (47%)Billings (7%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CircleFew work in Belt
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 16.3%Highest 10%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 86.9Lowest 113Highest
Schools
School district Belt Elem · Belt H SCircle Elem · Circle H S
High school in town Belt High SchoolCircle High School
Students per teacherat that high school 11.5Highest 11.2Lowest
Montana average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Belt neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Belt’s Town Square.

Circle neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Circle’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Belt and Circle

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Belt

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Culbertson567 people · $217K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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