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Circle vs Belt

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

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Circle, MTA regional job hubMontana · 514 people
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Belt, MTKnown for its schoolsMontana · 559 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.

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 →
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 →
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.

Circle$1,640/mo
Typical home $260K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.27% · or rent about $547/mo · Housing →
Belt$2,380/mo
Typical home $402K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.81% · or rent about $900/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
ACircleBetter than 90% of districts in the state ABeltBetter than 94% 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
CircleBelt
Snow a year—66″
January low—15°F
July high—84°F
Growing season (days)—126d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)14th75th
Outdoors & history
CircleBelt
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land10%16.3%
National Register places12
Archive photos63
Famous people born here22
Community
CircleBelt
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.

CircleMTBeltMT
Circle ↔ Belt250 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.

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

Circle neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Circle’s Town Square.

Belt neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Belt’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Circle and Belt

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

Towns like Circle

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Stanford268 people · $208K homes
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Valier573 people · $138K 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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