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Conrad vs Shelby

23 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (8.8× in Shelby) and street grid (2.6× in Conrad).

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Conrad, MTHomes around $261KMontana · 2,618 people
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Shelby, MTAn outdoors townMontana · 3,216 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.

ConradHomes around $261K
Housing$261K typical home45% below the MT typical home Outdoors#9 most walkable in MT1.2 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves Health56% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Conrad →
ShelbyAn outdoors town
Outdoors#3 most conserved land in MT11 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves Health66% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$185K typical home61% below the MT typical home All about Shelby →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

Trails8.8×
Shelby has more miles of trail
Shelby 10.6 miConrad 1.2 mi
Street grid2.6×
Conrad has the more walkable street grid
Conrad 115Shelby 43.5
Conserved land+19.1 pts
Shelby has more conserved land
Shelby 32.8%Conrad 13.7%
Property tax bill+31%
Tax bills are bigger in Shelby
Shelby $2,013Conrad $1,538
Age 65++7.1 pts
Conrad has more people 65 and up
Conrad 22.6%Shelby 15.5%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $450 more a month in Conrad

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.

Conrad$1,550/mo
Typical home $261K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.81% · or rent about $918/mo · Housing →
Shelby$1,100/mo
Typical home $185K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.87% · or rent about $893/mo · Housing →

The difference: $450 a month, about $5,400 a year, between Conrad and Shelby.

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

Conrad places higher on 11 of 19 MT lists

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.

Safety
B−ConradSafer than 53% of U.S. towns –ShelbyNot graded
Schools
B+ConradBetter than 65% of districts in the state C+ShelbyBetter than 43% of districts in the state
Health
C+ConradHealthier than 44% of U.S. towns CShelbyHealthier than 34% of U.S. towns
11Conrad
7Shelby

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fewest uninsuredHealth · 42 towns #22#40 Most walkableOutdoors · 43 towns #9#27 Fewest smokersHealth · 42 towns #24#38 Most conserved landOutdoors · 41 towns #16#3 Highest incomeIncome · 43 towns #41#32 Most trailsOutdoors · 34 towns #16#9 Lowest property taxCost of living · 42 towns #3#11 Best schoolsSchools · 40 towns #16#23

Left end = #1 in Montana. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Conrad’s rankings →

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
ConradShelby
Snow a year47″39″
January low11°F6°F
July high82°F82°F
Growing season (days)119d115d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)24th0th
Outdoors & history
ConradShelby
Trails1 mi11 mi
Conserved land13.7%32.8%
Settled1908—
National Register places13
Archive photos13—
Famous people born here10—
Community
ConradShelby
Library hours a week44 hrs36 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

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

23 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

ConradShelbyConradShelby
Conrad ↔ Shelby23 miles apart
Who commutes between them
47 Conrad residents work in Shelby (5.2% of its workers)
20 Shelby residents work in Conrad (2% of its workers)
Work & commute in Conrad →
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.

ConradShelby
People
Population 2,618Lowest 3,216Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -9.8%Lowest MT: +9.6% -6.1%Highest MT: +9.6%
Median age 39.5±3.3Highest about the MT average 37.7±3.3Lowest 7% below MT
Conrad and Shelby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.2%±2.8Highest MT: 21% 18.2%±3.2Lowest MT: 21%
Conrad and Shelby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 22.6%±2.9Highest MT: 20.1% 15.5%±2.7Lowest MT: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.4%Highest MT: 35.2% 19.5%Lowest MT: 35.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.5%±1.5Lowest MT: 5.2% 1.9%±1.3Highest MT: 5.2%
Shelby and Conrad are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $47,857±$4kLowest 34% below MT $58,413±$11kHighest 19% below MT
Shelby and Conrad are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $188,900±$30kLowest 50% below MT $232,700±$37kHighest 38% below MT
Shelby and Conrad are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $918±$86Highest 15% below MT $893±$240Lowest 17% below MT
Conrad and Shelby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,538Lowest 43% below MT $2,013Highest 25% below MT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 37.4%±9.6Lowest MT: 44.8% 47.8%±15Highest MT: 44.8%
Shelby and Conrad are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 17.6%Highest MT: 11.5% 13.8%Lowest MT: 11.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 63.1%Highest MT: 69.2% 61%Lowest MT: 69.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1962Highest 19 yrs older than MT 1960Lowest 21 yrs older than MT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 15 minHighest 23% below MT 14 minLowest 27% below MT
Work from home 7.4%±4.6Highest MT: 12.5% 6.8%±4.2Lowest MT: 12.5%
Conrad and Shelby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 42%Highest 41.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.8 miHighest 12.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.04 1.04
Top workplaceoutside town Great Falls (9%)Great Falls (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 5% work in Shelby2% work in Conrad
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 13.7%Lowest 32.8%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.2 miLowest 10.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miLowest 1.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 5Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 115Highest 43.5Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #16 of 40 in MT#23 of 40 in MT
School district Conrad H S · Conrad ElemShelby Elem · Shelby H S
High school in town Conrad High SchoolShelby High School
Students per teacherat that high school 8.9Lowest 10.4Highest
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.

Conrad neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Conrad’s Town Square.

Shelby neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 6d

Favorite Outdoor Spots in Shelby

1 neighbor in Shelby can answer.

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Stevensville2,130 people · $377K 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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