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Big Sandy vs Walkerville

187 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (12.8× in Big Sandy) and rent (2.2× in Walkerville).

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Big Sandy, MTHomes around $285KMontana · 784 people
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Walkerville, MTHomes around $163KMontana · 733 people
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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.

Big SandyHomes around $285K
Housing$285K typical home40% below the MT typical home All about Big Sandy →
WalkervilleHomes around $163K
Housing$163K typical home65% below the MT typical home All about Walkerville →
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.

Jobs per worker12.8×
Big Sandy is more of a job hub
Big Sandy 1.02Walkerville 0.08
Rent2.2×
Rent runs higher in Walkerville
Walkerville $1,188Big Sandy $550
Street grid3.8×
Big Sandy has the more walkable street grid
Big Sandy 168Walkerville 43.7
Trails2.5×
Walkerville has more miles of trail
Walkerville 0.5 miBig Sandy 0.2 mi
Typical home built20 yrs
Walkerville’s homes are older
Big Sandy 1958Walkerville 1938
Growth since 2010+6.5 pts
Big Sandy has grown faster since 2010
Big Sandy +1.2%Walkerville -5.3%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $680 more a month in Big Sandy

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.

Big Sandy$1,680/mo
Typical home $285K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.78% · or rent about $550/mo · Housing →
Walkerville$1,000/mo
Typical home $163K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.11% · or rent about $1,188/mo · Housing →

The difference: $680 a month, about $8,100 a year, between Big Sandy and Walkerville.

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
BBig SandyBetter than 58% of districts in the state –WalkervilleNot graded
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
Big SandyWalkerville
Snow a year36″15″
January low7°F11°F
July high88°F82°F
Growing season (days)120d85d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)26th25th
Outdoors & history
Big SandyWalkerville
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land1.2%—
Settled1887—
Archive photos74
Community
Big SandyWalkerville
Library hours a week38 hrs—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

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

187 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Big SandyMTWalkervilleMT
Big Sandy ↔ Walkerville187 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.

Big SandyWalkerville
People
Population 784Highest 733Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.2%Highest MT: +9.6% -5.3%Lowest MT: +9.6%
Median age 43.4±4.3Highest 7% above MT 39.3±8.2Lowest about the MT average
Big Sandy and Walkerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21.2%±5.6Lowest MT: 21% 22.1%±5.1Highest MT: 21%
Walkerville and Big Sandy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 24.5%±4Highest MT: 20.1% 18.6%±5.6Lowest MT: 20.1%
Big Sandy and Walkerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.2%Lowest MT: 35.2% 24.6%Highest MT: 35.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.4%±2.2Lowest MT: 5.2% 3.3%±4.5Highest MT: 5.2%
Walkerville and Big Sandy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $60,521±$16kHighest 17% below MT $48,750±$26kLowest 33% below MT
Big Sandy and Walkerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $187,500±$66kHighest 50% below MT $148,700±$38kLowest 60% below MT
Big Sandy and Walkerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $550±$485Lowest 49% below MT $1,188±$132Highest 10% above MT
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,466Lowest 46% below MT $1,656Highest 39% below MT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 18.3%±24.3Lowest MT: 44.8% 33.9%±25.8Highest MT: 44.8%
Walkerville and Big Sandy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.5%Lowest MT: 11.5% 18.2%Highest MT: 11.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 74.5%Lowest MT: 69.2% 78.8%Highest MT: 69.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1958Highest 23 yrs older than MT 1938Lowest 43 yrs older than MT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 14% below MT 17 minHighest 9% below MT
Work from home 14.3%±12.7Highest MT: 12.5% 7.6%±7.5Lowest MT: 12.5%
Big Sandy and Walkerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 9%Highest 0%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 40.8 miHighest 4.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.02Highest 0.08Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Fort Benton (10%)Butte-Silver Bow (67%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WalkervilleFew work in Big Sandy
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.2%Lowest 3.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 168Highest 43.7Lowest
Schools
School district Big Sandy K-12—
High school in town Big Sandy High School—
Students per teacherat that high school 8.0 —
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.

Big Sandy neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Big Sandy can answer.

Walkerville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Walkerville’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Big Sandy and Walkerville

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

Towns like Big Sandy

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Belt559 people · $172K homes
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Boulder1,284 people · $212K homes
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Bridger788 people · $250K homes
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Fromberg438 people · $213K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Montana towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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