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%

Polson$3,330/mo

Typical home $579K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.62% · or rent about $912/mo · Housing →

Kerr$3,250/mo

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

The difference: $90 a month, about $1,000 a year, between Polson and Kerr.

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.

Safety

D−PolsonSafer than 4% of U.S. towns –KerrNot graded

Schools

CPolsonBetter than 32% of districts in the state –KerrNot graded

Health

BPolsonHealthier than 61% of U.S. towns –KerrNot graded

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

PolsonKerr

Snow a year34″34″

January low20°F 20°F

July high83°F 83°F

Growing season (days)134d 134d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)69th 79th

Outdoors & history

PolsonKerr

Trails8 mi —

Conserved land11%—

Settled1910 —

National Register places1 —

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here4 —

Community

PolsonKerr

Library hours a week46 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.

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

PolsonKerr

People

Population 5,428Highest 463Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +14.7% MT: +9.6% —

Median age 43±8Highest 6% above MT 42.4±10.4Lowest 5% above MT

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

Kids under 18 20.1%±4.3Lowest MT: 21% 37.4%±16.6Highest MT: 21%

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

Age 65+ 24.8%±3.9Highest MT: 20.1% 15.3%±13.1Lowest MT: 20.1%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 29.6%Lowest MT: 35.2% 46.2%Highest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.9%±1.9Highest MT: 5.2% 0%±3.4Lowest MT: 5.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $53,418±$5k 26% below MT —

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $356,300±$54kLowest 5% below MT $558,200±$140kHighest 49% above MT

Rentmedian gross, monthly $912±$57 16% below MT —

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,224Lowest 17% below MT $3,859Highest 43% above MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49.9%±8 MT: 44.8% —

Below poverty line 17.5%Lowest MT: 11.5% 27.9%Highest MT: 11.5%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 54.6%Lowest MT: 69.2% 100%Highest MT: 69.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1983Lowest 2 yrs newer than MT 1999Highest 18 yrs newer than MT

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 20 minHighest 3% above MT 11 minLowest 43% below MT

Work from home 4.9%±2.7Lowest MT: 12.5% 6.8%±9.3Highest MT: 12.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 42.8%Highest 1%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.3 miLowest 5.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.02Highest 0.12Lowest

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Kerr38% work in Polson

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 11%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 7.6 miHighest 0.9 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.6 miHighest 0.9 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 60.1Highest 12.9Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #32 of 40 in MT—

School district Polson Elem · Polson H S—

High school in town Polson High School—

Students per teacherat that high school 13.6 —

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.

Polson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Polson’s Town Square.

Kerr neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Kerr’s Town Square.

Add a town

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

Bordering Polson

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Jette218 people · $580K homes

Towns like Polson

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Livingston8,780 people · $392K homes

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Columbia Falls5,615 people · $384K homes

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Sidney6,171 people · $237K homes

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Miles City8,407 people · $200K 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.

Polson vs Kerr

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Polson and Kerr share a border

A typical home costs about the same each month

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Polson and Kerr

Bordering Polson

Towns like Polson

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