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%

Hamilton$3,130/mo

Typical home $533K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.74% · or rent about $947/mo · Housing →

Libby$1,980/mo

Typical home $346K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.55% · or rent about $672/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,150 a month, about $13,800 a year, between Hamilton and Libby.

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

Hamilton places higher on 12 of 22 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

DHamiltonSafer than 14% of U.S. towns BLibbySafer than 57% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+HamiltonBetter than 65% of districts in the state B+LibbyBetter than 73% of districts in the state

Health

B+HamiltonHealthier than 71% of U.S. towns DLibbyHealthier than 13% of U.S. towns

12Hamilton

9Libby

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fewest smokersHealth · 42 towns #8#37 Lowest obesityHealth · 42 towns #12#40 SafestSafety · 26 towns #18#1 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 40 towns #3#26 HealthiestHealth · 42 towns #17#39 Most activeHealth · 42 towns #17#39 Most remote workersWork · 42 towns #36#14 Lowest depressionHealth · 42 towns #4#25

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

Life in each

Libby gets 31 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

HamiltonLibby

Snow a year17″48″

January low19°F 22°F

July high85°F 89°F

Growing season (days)115d 120d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)62nd 63rd

Outdoors & history

HamiltonLibby

Trails8 mi 1 mi

Conserved land16.8%19.2%

National Register places28 3

Archive photos18 —

Famous people born here13 —

Community

HamiltonLibby

Library hours a week53 hrs 40 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

161 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HamiltonMT LibbyMT

Hamilton ↔ Libby161 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

HamiltonLibby

People

Population 5,101Highest 3,042Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.2%Highest MT: +9.6% +5.6%Lowest MT: +9.6%

Median age 51.8±6.5Highest 28% above MT 51±6.8Lowest 26% above MT

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

Kids under 18 13.9%±4.5Lowest MT: 21% 17%±5.4Highest MT: 21%

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

Age 65+ 34.3%±7.4Highest MT: 20.1% 31.8%±6.7Lowest MT: 20.1%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.8%Highest MT: 35.2% 19.4%Lowest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.1%±2.1Lowest MT: 5.2% 4.5%±3Highest MT: 5.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $49,204±$9kHighest 32% below MT $34,143±$12kLowest 53% below MT

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $310,000±$52kHighest 18% below MT $257,400±$38kLowest 32% below MT

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $947±$113Highest 12% below MT $672±$108Lowest 38% below MT

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,304Highest 14% below MT $1,427Lowest 47% below MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 41.5%±13.8Lowest MT: 44.8% 53.8%±21.5Highest MT: 44.8%

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

Below poverty line 8.8%Lowest MT: 11.5% 24%Highest MT: 11.5%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 55.7%Lowest MT: 69.2% 57%Highest MT: 69.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest 5 yrs older than MT 1959Lowest 22 yrs older than MT

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 12 minHighest 36% below MT 9 minLowest 52% below MT

Work from home 3.4%±2.9Lowest MT: 12.5% 11.1%±9.5Highest MT: 12.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 45.3%Lowest 51%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 2.8 miHighest 1.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.95Highest 1.93Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Missoula (9%)Kalispell (5%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LibbyFew work in Hamilton

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 16.8%Lowest 19.2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 7.7 miHighest 1.3 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 3.0 miHighest 0.7 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 9Highest 5Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 94.1Lowest 110Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #20 of 40 in MT #13 of 40 in MT

School district Hamilton K-12 SchoolsLibby K-12 Schools

High school in town Hamilton High SchoolLibby High School

Students per teacherat that high school 15.2Lowest 19.0Highest

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.

Hamilton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hamilton’s Town Square.

Libby neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Libby’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Hamilton and Libby

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

Towns like Hamilton

+ Compare

Polson5,428 people · $356K homes

+ Compare

Deer Lodge3,021 people · $248K homes

+ Compare

Lewistown6,087 people · $198K homes

+ Compare

Livingston8,780 people · $392K 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.

Hamilton vs Libby

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,150 more a month in Hamilton

Hamilton places higher on 12 of 22 MT lists

Libby gets 31 more inches of snow a year

161 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Hamilton

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