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%

Libby$1,980/mo

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

Hamilton$3,130/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

9Libby

12Hamilton

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

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

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

LibbyHamilton

Snow a year48″17″

January low22°F 19°F

July high89°F 85°F

Growing season (days)120d 115d

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

Outdoors & history

LibbyHamilton

Trails1 mi 8 mi

Conserved land19.2%16.8%

National Register places3 28

Archive photos—18

Famous people born here—13

Community

LibbyHamilton

Library hours a week40 hrs 53 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.

LibbyMT HamiltonMT

Libby ↔ Hamilton161 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

LibbyHamilton

People

Population 3,042Lowest 5,101Highest

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

Median age 51±6.8Lowest 26% above MT 51.8±6.5Highest 28% 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 17%±5.4Highest MT: 21% 13.9%±4.5Lowest MT: 21%

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

Age 65+ 31.8%±6.7Lowest MT: 20.1% 34.3%±7.4Highest 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+ 19.4%Lowest MT: 35.2% 30.8%Highest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.5%±3Highest MT: 5.2% 3.1%±2.1Lowest 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 $34,143±$12kLowest 53% below MT $49,204±$9kHighest 32% 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 $257,400±$38kLowest 32% below MT $310,000±$52kHighest 18% 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 $672±$108Lowest 38% below MT $947±$113Highest 12% below MT

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

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.8%±21.5Highest MT: 44.8% 41.5%±13.8Lowest 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 24%Highest MT: 11.5% 8.8%Lowest MT: 11.5%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 11.1%±9.5Highest MT: 12.5% 3.4%±2.9Lowest 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 51%Highest 45.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 1.3 miLowest 2.8 miHighest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in HamiltonFew work in Libby

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 19.2%Highest 16.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 1.3 miLowest 7.7 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miLowest 3.0 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Lowest 9Highest

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

Schools

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

School district Libby K-12 SchoolsHamilton K-12 Schools

High school in town Libby High SchoolHamilton High School

Students per teacherat that high school 19.0Highest 15.2Lowest

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.

Libby neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Libby’s Town Square.

Hamilton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hamilton’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Libby

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Plentywood1,654 people · $161K 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.

Libby vs Hamilton

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 Libby

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