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 →

Sidney$1,640/mo

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

The difference: $540 a month, about $6,500 a year, between Sidney 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

Shelby places higher on 10 of 18 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 CSidneySafer than 31% of U.S. towns

Schools

C+ShelbyBetter than 43% of districts in the state B−SidneyBetter than 54% of districts in the state

Health

CShelbyHealthier than 34% of U.S. towns BSidneyHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns

10Shelby

8Sidney

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 43 towns #42#7 Most conserved landOutdoors · 41 towns #3#35 Shortest commuteGetting around · 43 towns #12#35 Fewest smokersHealth · 42 towns #38#17 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 42 towns #40#22 HealthiestHealth · 42 towns #36#22 Most remote workersWork · 42 towns #27#40 Most walkableOutdoors · 43 towns #27#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

ShelbySidney

Snow a year39″30″

January low6°F 7°F

July high82°F 87°F

Growing season (days)115d 137d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)0th 51st

Outdoors & history

ShelbySidney

Trails11 mi 1 mi

Conserved land32.8%3.9%

Settled—1911

National Register places3 1

Archive photos—5

Famous people born here—8

Community

ShelbySidney

Library hours a week36 hrs 40 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

359 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ShelbyMT SidneyMT

Shelby ↔ Sidney359 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

ShelbySidney

People

Population 3,216Lowest 6,171Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -6.1%Lowest MT: +9.6% +22.3%Highest MT: +9.6%

Median age 37.7±3.3Highest 7% below MT 37.3±3.1Lowest 8% below MT

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

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

Age 65+ 15.5%±2.7Highest MT: 20.1% 13.6%±2.7Lowest MT: 20.1%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.5%Lowest MT: 35.2% 22%Highest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.9%±1.3Lowest MT: 5.2% 7.3%±2.7Highest MT: 5.2%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $58,413±$11kLowest 19% below MT $62,538±$14kHighest 14% below MT

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $232,700±$37kLowest 38% below MT $236,900±$20kHighest 37% below MT

Sidney and Shelby 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 $931±$65Highest 14% below MT

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,013Lowest 25% below MT $2,150Highest 20% below MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.8%±15Highest MT: 44.8% 31.4%±11.1Lowest MT: 44.8%

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

Below poverty line 13.8%Highest MT: 11.5% 7.7%Lowest MT: 11.5%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 61%Highest MT: 69.2% 57.6%Lowest MT: 69.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1960Lowest 21 yrs older than MT 1980Highest 1 yr older than MT

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 14 minLowest 27% below MT 21 minHighest 11% above MT

Work from home 6.8%±4.2Highest MT: 12.5% 1.9%±1.7Lowest MT: 12.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 41.1%Lowest 49.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miHighest 1.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.04Highest 1.01Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Great Falls (8%)Williston (4%)

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

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 32.8%Highest 3.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 10.6 miHighest 0.8 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.8 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Lowest 7Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 43.5Lowest 92.1Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #23 of 40 in MT #31 of 40 in MT

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

High school in town Shelby High SchoolSidney High School

Students per teacherat that high school 10.4Lowest 12.2Highest

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 →

1 neighbor in Shelby can answer.

Sidney neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sidney’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Shelby and Sidney

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

Towns like Shelby

+ Compare

Conrad2,618 people · $189K homes

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Ronan2,001 people · $226K homes

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Cut Bank3,028 people · $164K homes

+ Compare

Hardin3,742 people · $147K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Montana towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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 Sidney

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $540 more a month in Sidney

Shelby places higher on 10 of 18 MT lists

What daily life feels like in each

359 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Shelby and Sidney

Towns like Shelby

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