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Compare towns

Fairview vs Big Timber

312 miles apart. The biggest differences: home values (+62% in Big Timber) and work from home (+11.9 pts in Big Timber).

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Fairview, MTHomes around $263KMontana · 971 people
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Big Timber, MTA history townMontana · 1,611 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.

FairviewHomes around $263K
Housing$263K typical home44% below the MT typical home SchoolsBetter than 29%of MT districts All about Fairview →
Big TimberA history town
History15 archive photos & papers4 places on the National Register HealthHealthier than 71%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors17.4% conserved land0.4 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Big Timber →
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.

Home values+62%
Homes cost more in Big Timber
Big Timber $278,200Fairview $171,600
Work from home+11.9 pts
More people work from home in Big Timber
Big Timber 12.5%Fairview 0.6%
Age 65++14.1 pts
Big Timber has more people 65 and up
Big Timber 29.1%Fairview 15%
Work in town+22.1 pts
More of Big Timber’s workers stay in town
Big Timber 34.6%Fairview 12.5%
Trails2×
Big Timber has more miles of trail
Big Timber 0.4 miFairview 0.2 mi
Conserved land+15.3 pts
Big Timber has more conserved land
Big Timber 17.4%Fairview 2.1%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $980 more a month in Big Timber

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.

Fairview$1,570/mo
Typical home $263K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.85% · or rent about $725/mo · Housing →
Big Timber$2,540/mo
Typical home $449K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.52% · or rent about $1,109/mo · Housing →

The difference: $980 a month, about $11,700 a year, between Big Timber and Fairview.

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
CFairviewBetter than 29% of districts in the state B−Big TimberBetter than 52% of districts in the state
Health
–FairviewNot graded B+Big TimberHealthier than 71% of U.S. towns
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
FairviewBig Timber
Snow a year30″55″
January low7°F20°F
July high87°F86°F
Growing season (days)137d133d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)31st81st
Outdoors & history
FairviewBig Timber
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land2.1%17.4%
Settled1906—
National Register places—4
Archive photos115
Famous people born here—5
Community
FairviewBig Timber
Library hours a week—40 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

312 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

FairviewMTBig TimberMT
Fairview ↔ Big Timber312 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.

FairviewBig Timber
People
Population 971Lowest 1,611Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.7%Highest MT: +9.6% +0.5%Lowest MT: +9.6%
Median age 38.1±7Lowest 6% below MT 43.6±5.4Highest 8% above MT
Big Timber and Fairview are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 25%±5.2Highest MT: 21% 20.8%±4.6Lowest MT: 21%
Fairview and Big Timber are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 15%±4.6Lowest MT: 20.1% 29.1%±5.8Highest MT: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.6%Lowest MT: 35.2% 16.2%Highest MT: 35.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.8%±2.8Lowest MT: 5.2% 2.9%±2Highest MT: 5.2%
Big Timber and Fairview are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $86,667±$35kHighest 20% above MT $66,898±$13kLowest 8% below MT
Fairview and Big Timber are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $171,600±$47kLowest 54% below MT $278,200±$25kHighest 26% below MT
Rentmedian gross, monthly $725±$259Lowest 33% below MT $1,109±$292Highest about the MT average
Big Timber and Fairview are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,454Highest 46% below MT $1,433Lowest 47% below MT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 32.1%±42.4Lowest MT: 44.8% 34.5%±23.4Highest MT: 44.8%
Big Timber and Fairview are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.4%Lowest MT: 11.5% 10.4%Highest MT: 11.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 85.8%Highest MT: 69.2% 80.3%Lowest MT: 69.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1974Highest 7 yrs older than MT 1965Lowest 16 yrs older than MT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 14% above MT 19 minLowest about the MT average
Work from home 0.6%±1Lowest MT: 12.5% 12.5%±7.6Highest MT: 12.5%
Work in townworking residents 12.5%Lowest 34.6%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miHighest 3.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.81Lowest 1.27Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sidney (22%)Billings (7%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Big TimberFew work in Fairview
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.1%Lowest 17.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 85.5Lowest 125Highest
Schools
School district Fairview Elem · Fairview H SBig Timber Elem · Sweet Grass County H S
High school in town Fairview High SchoolSweet Grass Co High Schl
Students per teacherat that high school 8.1Lowest 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.

Fairview neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Fairview’s Town Square.

Big Timber neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Big Timber’s Town Square.

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Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Montana towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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