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%

Kerr$3,250/mo

Typical home $558K (Census) · tax rate 0.69% · Housing →

Circle$1,640/mo

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

The difference: $1,610 a month, about $19,300 a year, between Kerr and Circle.

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

–KerrNot graded ACircleBetter than 90% 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

KerrCircle

Snow a year34″—

January low20°F —

July high83°F —

Growing season (days)134d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)79th 14th

Outdoors & history

KerrCircle

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—10%

National Register places—1

Archive photos—6

Famous people born here—2

Community

KerrCircle

Library hours a week—30 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

401 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

KerrMT CircleMT

Kerr ↔ Circle401 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

KerrCircle

People

Population 463Lowest 514Highest

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

Median age 42.4±10.4Lowest 5% above MT 46.2±12.3Highest 14% above MT

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

Kids under 18 37.4%±16.6Highest MT: 21% 16.1%±5.8Lowest MT: 21%

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

Age 65+ 15.3%±13.1Lowest MT: 20.1% 25.5%±7Highest MT: 20.1%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 46.2%Highest MT: 35.2% 25.3%Lowest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±3.4 MT: 5.2% 0%±3 MT: 5.2%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian — $75,417±$23k 4% above MT

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $558,200±$140kHighest 49% above MT $171,900±$82kLowest 54% below MT

Rentmedian gross, monthly — $547±$71 49% below MT

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,859Highest 43% above MT $2,179Lowest 19% below MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 40.5%±46.6 MT: 44.8%

Below poverty line 27.9%Highest MT: 11.5% 6.3%Lowest MT: 11.5%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 100%Highest MT: 69.2% 84.6%Lowest MT: 69.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1999Highest 18 yrs newer than MT 1958Lowest 23 yrs older than MT

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 11 minLowest 43% below MT 15 minHighest 21% below MT

Work from home 6.8%±9.3Highest MT: 12.5% 6%±4.9Lowest MT: 12.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 1%Lowest 33.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.8 miLowest 46.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.12Lowest 1.91Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Polson (38%)Billings (7%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CircleFew work in Kerr

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 10%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.9 miHighest 0.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miHighest 0.5 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 2Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 12.9Lowest 113Highest

Schools

School district —Circle Elem · Circle H S

High school in town —Circle High School

Students per teacherat that high school — 11.2

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.

Kerr neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Kerr’s Town Square.

Circle neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Circle’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Kerr and Circle

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

Bordering Kerr

+ Compare

Polson5,428 people · $356K homes

Towns like Kerr

+ Compare

Fort Peck280 people · $274K homes

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Sunburst301 people · $140K homes

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Stanford268 people · $208K homes

+ Compare

Bainville334 people

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.

Kerr vs Circle

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,610 more a month in Kerr

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

401 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Kerr and Circle

Bordering Kerr

Towns like Kerr

Post to Kerr

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