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Circle vs Sunburst

308 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (8.5× in Sunburst) and rent (2× in Sunburst).

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Circle, MTA regional job hubMontana · 514 people

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Sunburst, MTAn outdoors townMontana · 301 people

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 →

SunburstAn outdoors town

Outdoors13.7% conserved land3.4 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Sunburst →

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.

Sunburst has more miles of trail

Sunburst 3.4 miCircle 0.4 mi

Rent runs higher in Sunburst

Sunburst $1,094Circle $547

Street grid3.7×

Circle has the more walkable street grid

Circle 113Sunburst 30.1

Property tax bill+57%

Tax bills are bigger in Circle

Circle $2,179Sunburst $1,385

Jobs per worker+87%

Circle is more of a job hub

Circle 1.91Sunburst 1.02

Work in town+13 pts

More of Circle’s workers stay in town

Circle 33.9%Sunburst 20.9%

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $790 more a month in Circle

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.

Down paymentRate%

Circle$1,640/mo

Typical home $260K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.27% · or rent about $547/mo · Housing →

Sunburst$850/mo

Typical home $140K (Census) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $1,094/mo · Housing →

The difference: $790 a month, about $9,500 a year, between Circle and Sunburst.

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 BSunburstBetter than 58% 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

CircleSunburst

Snow a year—86″

January low—10°F

July high—80°F

Growing season (days)—77d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)14th 14th

Outdoors & history

CircleSunburst

Trails0 mi 3 mi

Conserved land10%13.7%

National Register places1 —

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here2 —

Community

CircleSunburst

Library hours a week30 hrs 15 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

308 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CircleMT SunburstMT

Circle ↔ Sunburst308 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.

Only big differences vs Montana average

CircleSunburst

People

Population 514Highest 301Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -3.9% MT: +9.6% —

Median age 46.2±12.3Highest 14% above MT 42±15.4Lowest 4% above MT

Circle and Sunburst 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% 23.6%±11.1Highest MT: 21%

Sunburst 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% 17.9%±2.9Lowest MT: 20.1%

Circle and Sunburst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.3%Lowest MT: 35.2% 29.3%Highest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±3Lowest MT: 5.2% 3%±4.4Highest MT: 5.2%

Sunburst 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 $65,938±$11kLowest 9% below MT

Circle and Sunburst 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 $139,600±$29kLowest 63% below MT

Circle and Sunburst 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 $1,094±$109Highest about the MT average

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,179Highest 19% below MT $1,385Lowest 49% below MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 40.5%±46.6Highest MT: 44.8% 35.7%±100Lowest MT: 44.8%

Circle and Sunburst 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% 14.6%Highest MT: 11.5%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 84.6%Lowest MT: 69.2% 86.4%Highest MT: 69.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1958Lowest 23 yrs older than MT 1963Highest 18 yrs older than MT

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 15 minHighest 21% below MT 12 minLowest 38% below MT

Work from home 6%±4.9Lowest MT: 12.5% 10.9%±5.2Highest MT: 12.5%

Sunburst 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 20.9%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 46.3 miHighest 10.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.91Highest 1.02Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Billings (7%)Sweet Grass (14%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SunburstFew work in Circle

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 10%Lowest 13.7%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miLowest 3.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miLowest 1.5 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 113Highest 30.1Lowest

Schools

School district Circle Elem · Circle H SSunburst K-12 Schools

High school in town Circle High SchoolSunburst High School

Students per teacherat that high school 11.2Highest 5.9Lowest

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.

Sunburst neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sunburst’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Circle and Sunburst

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

Towns like Circle

Belt559 people · $172K homes

Fromberg438 people · $213K homes

Stanford268 people · $208K homes

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.