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Deer Lodge vs Townsend

58 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (17 min in Deer Lodge) and typical home built (19 yrs in Deer Lodge).

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Deer Lodge, MTAn outdoors townMontana · 3,021 people
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Townsend, MTA history townMontana · 1,967 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.

Deer LodgeAn outdoors town
Outdoors#5 most walkable in MT1.2 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves HistorySettled in 186014 places on the National Register Health68% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Deer Lodge →
TownsendA history town
HistorySettled in 18832 places on the National Register Outdoors13.4% conserved land0.9 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves All about Townsend →
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.

Average commute17 min
Deer Lodge has the shorter commute
Townsend 31 minDeer Lodge 14 min
Typical home built19 yrs
Deer Lodge’s homes are older
Townsend 1975Deer Lodge 1956
Property tax bill+16%
Tax bills are bigger in Deer Lodge
Deer Lodge $1,965Townsend $1,701
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $860 more a month in Townsend

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.

Deer Lodge$1,800/mo
Typical home $304K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.79% · or rent about $852/mo · Housing →
Townsend$2,650/mo
Typical home $452K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $952/mo · Housing →

The difference: $860 a month, about $10,300 a year, between Townsend and Deer Lodge.

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.

Life in each

Deer Lodge gets 51 more inches of snow a year

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
Deer LodgeTownsend
Snow a year75″24″
January low16°F14°F
July high83°F83°F
Growing season (days)105d122d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)20th78th
Outdoors & history
Deer LodgeTownsend
Trails1 mi1 mi
Conserved land10.1%13.4%
Settled18601883
National Register places142
Archive photos618
Famous people born here172
Community
Deer LodgeTownsend
Library hours a week42 hrs39 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.

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.

Safety
C+Deer LodgeSafer than 41% of U.S. towns –TownsendNot graded
Schools
C+Deer LodgeBetter than 36% of districts in the state BTownsendBetter than 55% of districts in the state
Health
CDeer LodgeHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns C+TownsendHealthier than 41% of U.S. towns
Where they are

58 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Deer LodgeMTTownsendMT
Deer Lodge ↔ Townsend58 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.

Deer LodgeTownsend
People
Population 3,021Highest 1,967Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5.6%Lowest MT: +9.6% -4.8%Highest MT: +9.6%
Median age 49.8±3Highest 23% above MT 49.1±5.6Lowest 22% above MT
Deer Lodge and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 16%±4.4Lowest MT: 21% 17.6%±3.8Highest MT: 21%
Townsend and Deer Lodge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 24.7%±5.5Highest MT: 20.1% 19.5%±3.6Lowest MT: 20.1%
Deer Lodge and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.8%Highest MT: 35.2% 21.5%Lowest MT: 35.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.6%±1.9Highest MT: 5.2% 2.4%±2.4Lowest MT: 5.2%
Deer Lodge and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $60,302±$21kLowest 17% below MT $70,752±$8kHighest about the MT average
Townsend and Deer Lodge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $247,600±$34kHighest 34% below MT $227,600±$50kLowest 39% below MT
Deer Lodge and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $852±$74Lowest 21% below MT $952±$103Highest 12% below MT
Townsend and Deer Lodge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,965Highest 27% below MT $1,701Lowest 37% below MT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 18.8%±15Lowest MT: 44.8% 55.6%±22.7Highest MT: 44.8%
Townsend and Deer Lodge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 7.2%Lowest MT: 11.5% 15.6%Highest MT: 11.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 68.1%Lowest MT: 69.2% 73.2%Highest MT: 69.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1956Lowest 25 yrs older than MT 1975Highest 6 yrs older than MT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 14 minLowest 25% below MT 31 minHighest 63% above MT
Work from home 5.2%±3.9Lowest MT: 12.5% 13.5%±7.7Highest MT: 12.5%
Townsend and Deer Lodge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 31.2%Highest 23.7%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.3 miLowest 30.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.09Highest 0.76Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Butte-Silver Bow (8%)Helena (16%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in TownsendFew work in Deer Lodge
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 10.1%Lowest 13.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.2 miHighest 0.9 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.8 miHighest 0.6 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 4Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 130Highest 109Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #30 of 40 in MT—
School district Deer Lodge Elem · Powell County H STownsend K-12 Schools
High school in town Powell County High SchoolBroadwater High School
Students per teacherat that high school 10.1Lowest 12.7Highest
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.

Deer Lodge neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Deer Lodge’s Town Square.

Townsend neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Townsend’s Town Square.

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Towns like Deer Lodge

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Glendive4,810 people · $183K 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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