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Circle vs Fromberg

211 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (5.6× in Circle) and rent (+80% in Fromberg).

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Circle, MTA regional job hubMontana · 514 people
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Fromberg, MTA history townMontana · 438 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.

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 →
FrombergA history town
History18 archive photos & papers16 places on the National Register SchoolsBetter than 12%of MT districts All about Fromberg →
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 worker5.6×
Circle is more of a job hub
Circle 1.91Fromberg 0.34
Rent+80%
Rent runs higher in Fromberg
Fromberg $983Circle $547
Property tax bill+80%
Tax bills are bigger in Circle
Circle $2,179Fromberg $1,209
Average commute17 min
Circle has the shorter commute
Fromberg 32 minCircle 15 min
Work in town+29.7 pts
More of Circle’s workers stay in town
Circle 33.9%Fromberg 4.2%
Trails2×
Circle has more miles of trail
Circle 0.4 miFromberg 0.2 mi
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $630 more a month in Fromberg

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 →
Fromberg$2,270/mo
Typical home $397K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.57% · or rent about $983/mo · Housing →

The difference: $630 a month, about $7,600 a year, between Fromberg 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 DFrombergBetter than 12% 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
CircleFromberg
Snow a year—30″
January low—13°F
July high—87°F
Growing season (days)—129d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)14th89th
Outdoors & history
CircleFromberg
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land10%—
National Register places116
Archive photos618
Famous people born here22
Community
CircleFromberg
Library hours a week30 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

211 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CircleMTFrombergMT
Circle ↔ Fromberg211 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.

CircleFromberg
People
Population 514Highest 438Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -3.9% MT: +9.6% —
Median age 46.2±12.3Highest 14% above MT 42.5±10.5Lowest 5% above MT
Circle and Fromberg 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% 21.5%±7.8Highest MT: 21%
Fromberg 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% 18.3%±9.4Lowest MT: 20.1%
Circle and Fromberg 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% 18.6%Lowest MT: 35.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±3Lowest MT: 5.2% 2.1%±3.4Highest MT: 5.2%
Fromberg 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 $64,500±$11kLowest 11% below MT
Circle and Fromberg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $171,900±$82kLowest 54% below MT $212,500±$74kHighest 43% below MT
Fromberg and Circle 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 $983±$271Highest 9% below MT
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,179Highest 19% below MT $1,209Lowest 55% below MT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 40.5%±46.6Highest MT: 44.8% 36%±66.9Lowest MT: 44.8%
Circle and Fromberg 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% 13.5%Highest MT: 11.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 84.6%Highest MT: 69.2% 81.5%Lowest MT: 69.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1958Lowest 23 yrs older than MT 1972Highest 9 yrs older than MT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 15 minLowest 21% below MT 32 minHighest 66% above MT
Work from home 6%±4.9Lowest MT: 12.5% 7.8%±17Highest MT: 12.5%
Fromberg and Circle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 33.9%Highest 4.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 46.3 miHighest 30.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.91Highest 0.34Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Billings (7%)Billings (24%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in FrombergFew work in Circle
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 10%Highest 8%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 mi 0.5 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 113Highest 97.7Lowest
Schools
School district Circle Elem · Circle H SFromberg K-12
High school in town Circle High SchoolFromberg High School
Students per teacherat that high school 11.2Highest 4.9Lowest
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.

Fromberg neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Fromberg’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Circle and Fromberg

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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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