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 →

Sidney$1,640/mo

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

The difference: $1,700 a month, about $20,300 a year, between Polson 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

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 CSidneySafer than 31% of U.S. towns

Schools

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

Health

BPolsonHealthier than 61% of U.S. towns BSidneyHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns

9Polson

9Sidney

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

Lowest obesityHealth · 42 towns #16#39 SafestSafety · 26 towns #25#11 Most new homesHousing · 27 towns #13#24 Most conserved landOutdoors · 41 towns #19#35 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 40 towns #21#35 Most educatedPeople · 43 towns #22#34 Lowest depressionHealth · 42 towns #18#8 Most affordableCost of living · 42 towns #25#15

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

PolsonSidney

Snow a year34″30″

January low20°F 7°F

July high83°F 87°F

Growing season (days)134d 137d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)69th 51st

Outdoors & history

PolsonSidney

Trails8 mi 1 mi

Conserved land11%3.9%

Settled1910 1911

National Register places1 1

Archive photos6 5

Famous people born here4 8

Community

PolsonSidney

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

463 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PolsonMT SidneyMT

Polson ↔ Sidney463 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

PolsonSidney

People

Population 5,428Lowest 6,171Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +14.7%Lowest MT: +9.6% +22.3%Highest MT: +9.6%

Median age 43±8Highest 6% above MT 37.3±3.1Lowest 8% below MT

Polson and Sidney 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% 25.3%±4Highest MT: 21%

Sidney 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% 13.6%±2.7Lowest MT: 20.1%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 29.6%Highest MT: 35.2% 22%Lowest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.9%±1.9Lowest MT: 5.2% 7.3%±2.7Highest MT: 5.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $53,418±$5kLowest 26% below MT $62,538±$14kHighest 14% below MT

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $356,300±$54kHighest 5% below MT $236,900±$20kLowest 37% below MT

Rentmedian gross, monthly $912±$57Lowest 16% below MT $931±$65Highest 14% below MT

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,224Highest 17% below MT $2,150Lowest 20% below MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49.9%±8Highest MT: 44.8% 31.4%±11.1Lowest MT: 44.8%

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

Below poverty line 17.5%Highest MT: 11.5% 7.7%Lowest MT: 11.5%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 54.6%Lowest MT: 69.2% 57.6%Highest MT: 69.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1983Highest 2 yrs newer than MT 1980Lowest 1 yr older than MT

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 3% above MT 21 minHighest 11% above MT

Work from home 4.9%±2.7Highest MT: 12.5% 1.9%±1.7Lowest MT: 12.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 42.8%Lowest 49.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.3 miHighest 1.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.02Highest 1.01Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Missoula (7%)Williston (4%)

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

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 11%Highest 3.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 7.6 miHighest 0.8 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.6 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Highest 7Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 60.1Lowest 92.1Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #32 of 40 in MT #31 of 40 in MT

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

High school in town Polson High SchoolSidney High School

Students per teacherat that high school 13.6Highest 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.

Polson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Polson’s Town Square.

Sidney neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sidney’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Polson and Sidney

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

Bordering Polson

+ Compare

Kerr463 people · $558K homes

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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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Miles City8,407 people · $200K homes

+ Compare

Lewistown6,087 people · $198K 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 Sidney

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,700 more a month in Polson

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

463 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Polson and Sidney

Bordering Polson

Towns like Polson

Post to Polson

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