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%

Laurel$2,240/mo

Typical home $378K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.82% · or rent about $974/mo · Housing →

Sidney$1,640/mo

Typical home $273K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.91% · or rent about $931/mo · Housing →

The difference: $600 a month, about $7,200 a year, between Laurel and Sidney.

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

Laurel places higher on 12 of 21 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

DLaurelSafer than 10% of U.S. towns CSidneySafer than 31% of U.S. towns

Schools

CLaurelBetter than 32% of districts in the state B−SidneyBetter than 54% of districts in the state

Health

BLaurelHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns BSidneyHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns

12Laurel

8Sidney

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 42 towns #36#8 Most remote workersWork · 42 towns #13#40 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 40 towns #12#35 Fastest growingGrowth · 43 towns #22#7 SafestSafety · 26 towns #19#11 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 42 towns #10#22 Most new homesHousing · 27 towns #17#24 Most activeHealth · 42 towns #17#27

Left end = #1 in Montana. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Laurel’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

LaurelSidney

Snow a year48″30″

January low15°F 7°F

July high89°F 87°F

Growing season (days)149d 137d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)24th 51st

Outdoors & history

LaurelSidney

Trails1 mi 1 mi

Conserved land6.6%3.9%

Settled—1911

National Register places4 1

Archive photos—5

Famous people born here—8

Community

LaurelSidney

Library hours a week46 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

260 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LaurelMT SidneyMT

Laurel ↔ Sidney260 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

LaurelSidney

People

Population 7,215Highest 6,171Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.5%Lowest MT: +9.6% +22.3%Highest MT: +9.6%

Median age 37.1±3.4Lowest 8% below MT 37.3±3.1Highest 8% below MT

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

Kids under 18 23.4%±5Lowest MT: 21% 25.3%±4Highest MT: 21%

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

Age 65+ 14.5%±3Highest MT: 20.1% 13.6%±2.7Lowest MT: 20.1%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.8%Lowest MT: 35.2% 22%Highest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.9%±1.4Lowest MT: 5.2% 7.3%±2.7Highest MT: 5.2%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $68,474±$6kHighest 6% below MT $62,538±$14kLowest 14% below MT

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $235,100±$26kLowest 37% below MT $236,900±$20kHighest 37% below MT

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $974±$209Highest 10% below MT $931±$65Lowest 14% below MT

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,939Lowest 28% below MT $2,150Highest 20% below MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 29.7%±12.3Lowest MT: 44.8% 31.4%±11.1Highest MT: 44.8%

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

Below poverty line 10%Highest MT: 11.5% 7.7%Lowest MT: 11.5%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 58.7%Highest MT: 69.2% 57.6%Lowest MT: 69.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1975Lowest 6 yrs older than MT 1980Highest 1 yr older than MT

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 19 minLowest about the MT average 21 minHighest 11% above MT

Work from home 12.1%±7Highest MT: 12.5% 1.9%±1.7Lowest MT: 12.5%

Work in townworking residents 17.6%Lowest 49.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miHighest 1.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.69Lowest 1.01Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Billings (48%)Williston (4%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SidneyFew work in Laurel

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 6.6%Highest 3.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.9 miHighest 0.8 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 9Highest 7Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 123Highest 92.1Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #33 of 40 in MT #31 of 40 in MT

School district Laurel Elem · Laurel H SSidney Elem · Sidney H S

High school in town Laurel High SchoolSidney High School

Students per teacherat that high school 16.2Highest 12.2Lowest

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.

Laurel neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Laurel’s Town Square.

Sidney neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sidney’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Laurel and Sidney

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

Towns like Laurel

+ Compare

Shelby3,216 people · $233K homes

+ Compare

Miles City8,407 people · $200K homes

+ Compare

Hardin3,742 people · $147K homes

+ Compare

Columbia Falls5,615 people · $384K 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.

Laurel vs Sidney

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $600 more a month in Laurel

Laurel places higher on 12 of 21 MT lists

What daily life feels like in each

260 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Laurel and Sidney

Towns like Laurel

Post to Laurel

Check your email