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%

Shelby$1,100/mo

Typical home $185K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.87% · or rent about $893/mo · Housing →

Conrad$1,550/mo

Typical home $261K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.81% · or rent about $918/mo · Housing →

The difference: $450 a month, about $5,400 a year, between Conrad and Shelby.

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

Conrad places higher on 11 of 19 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

–ShelbyNot graded B−ConradSafer than 53% of U.S. towns

Schools

C+ShelbyBetter than 43% of districts in the state B+ConradBetter than 65% of districts in the state

Health

CShelbyHealthier than 34% of U.S. towns C+ConradHealthier than 44% of U.S. towns

7Shelby

11Conrad

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fewest uninsuredHealth · 42 towns #40#22 Most walkableOutdoors · 43 towns #27#9 Fewest smokersHealth · 42 towns #38#24 Most conserved landOutdoors · 41 towns #3#16 Highest incomeIncome · 43 towns #32#41 Most trailsOutdoors · 34 towns #9#16 Lowest property taxCost of living · 42 towns #11#3 Best schoolsSchools · 40 towns #23#16

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

ShelbyConrad

Snow a year39″47″

January low6°F 11°F

July high82°F 82°F

Growing season (days)115d 119d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)0th 24th

Outdoors & history

ShelbyConrad

Trails11 mi 1 mi

Conserved land32.8%13.7%

Settled—1908

National Register places3 1

Archive photos—13

Famous people born here—10

Community

ShelbyConrad

Library hours a week36 hrs 44 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 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

23 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

ShelbyConrad

Shelby ↔ Conrad23 miles apart

Who commutes between them

47 Conrad residents work in Shelby (5.2% of its workers)

20 Shelby residents work in Conrad (2% of its workers)

Work & commute in Conrad →

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

ShelbyConrad

People

Population 3,216Highest 2,618Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -6.1%Highest MT: +9.6% -9.8%Lowest MT: +9.6%

Median age 37.7±3.3Lowest 7% below MT 39.5±3.3Highest about the MT average

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

Kids under 18 18.2%±3.2Lowest MT: 21% 23.2%±2.8Highest MT: 21%

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

Age 65+ 15.5%±2.7Lowest MT: 20.1% 22.6%±2.9Highest MT: 20.1%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.5%Lowest MT: 35.2% 23.4%Highest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.9%±1.3Highest MT: 5.2% 1.5%±1.5Lowest MT: 5.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $58,413±$11kHighest 19% below MT $47,857±$4kLowest 34% below MT

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $232,700±$37kHighest 38% below MT $188,900±$30kLowest 50% below MT

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $893±$240Lowest 17% below MT $918±$86Highest 15% below MT

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,013Highest 25% below MT $1,538Lowest 43% below MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.8%±15Highest MT: 44.8% 37.4%±9.6Lowest MT: 44.8%

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

Below poverty line 13.8%Lowest MT: 11.5% 17.6%Highest MT: 11.5%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 61%Lowest MT: 69.2% 63.1%Highest MT: 69.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1960Lowest 21 yrs older than MT 1962Highest 19 yrs older than MT

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 14 minLowest 27% below MT 15 minHighest 23% below MT

Work from home 6.8%±4.2Lowest MT: 12.5% 7.4%±4.6Highest MT: 12.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 41.1%Lowest 42%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 16.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.04 1.04

Top workplaceoutside town Great Falls (8%)Great Falls (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Conrad5% work in Shelby

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 32.8%Highest 13.7%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 10.6 miHighest 1.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.8 miHighest 0.9 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 3Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 43.5Lowest 115Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #23 of 40 in MT #16 of 40 in MT

School district Shelby Elem · Shelby H SConrad H S · Conrad Elem

High school in town Shelby High SchoolConrad High School

Students per teacherat that high school 10.4Highest 8.9Lowest

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.

Shelby neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 6d

Favorite Outdoor Spots in Shelby

1 neighbor in Shelby can answer.

Conrad neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Conrad’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Shelby and Conrad

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

Towns like Shelby

+ Compare

Ronan2,001 people · $226K homes

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Hardin3,742 people · $147K homes

+ Compare

Sidney6,171 people · $237K 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.

Shelby vs Conrad

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $450 more a month in Conrad

Conrad places higher on 11 of 19 MT lists

What daily life feels like in each

23 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Favorite Outdoor Spots in Shelby

Set another town beside Shelby and Conrad

Towns like Shelby

Post to Shelby

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