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%

Sidney$1,640/mo

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

Laurel$2,240/mo

Typical home $378K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.82% · or rent about $974/mo · Housing →

The difference: $600 a month, about $7,200 a year, between Laurel 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

Laurel places higher on 12 of 21 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

CSidneySafer than 31% of U.S. towns DLaurelSafer than 10% of U.S. towns

Schools

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

Health

BSidneyHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns BLaurelHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns

8Sidney

12Laurel

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

Lowest depressionHealth · 42 towns #8#36 Most remote workersWork · 42 towns #40#13 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 40 towns #35#12 Fastest growingGrowth · 43 towns #7#22 SafestSafety · 26 towns #11#19 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 42 towns #22#10 Most new homesHousing · 27 towns #24#17 Most activeHealth · 42 towns #27#17

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

SidneyLaurel

Snow a year30″48″

January low7°F 15°F

July high87°F 89°F

Growing season (days)137d 149d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)51st 24th

Outdoors & history

SidneyLaurel

Trails1 mi 1 mi

Conserved land3.9%6.6%

Settled1911 —

National Register places1 4

Archive photos5 —

Famous people born here8 —

Community

SidneyLaurel

Library hours a week40 hrs 46 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

260 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SidneyMT LaurelMT

Sidney ↔ Laurel260 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

SidneyLaurel

People

Population 6,171Lowest 7,215Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +22.3%Highest MT: +9.6% +7.5%Lowest MT: +9.6%

Median age 37.3±3.1Highest 8% below MT 37.1±3.4Lowest 8% below MT

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

Kids under 18 25.3%±4Highest MT: 21% 23.4%±5Lowest MT: 21%

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

Age 65+ 13.6%±2.7Lowest MT: 20.1% 14.5%±3Highest MT: 20.1%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22%Highest MT: 35.2% 20.8%Lowest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.3%±2.7Highest MT: 5.2% 1.9%±1.4Lowest MT: 5.2%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $62,538±$14kLowest 14% below MT $68,474±$6kHighest 6% below MT

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $236,900±$20kHighest 37% below MT $235,100±$26kLowest 37% below MT

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $931±$65Lowest 14% below MT $974±$209Highest 10% below MT

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,150Highest 20% below MT $1,939Lowest 28% below MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 31.4%±11.1Highest MT: 44.8% 29.7%±12.3Lowest MT: 44.8%

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

Below poverty line 7.7%Lowest MT: 11.5% 10%Highest MT: 11.5%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 57.6%Lowest MT: 69.2% 58.7%Highest MT: 69.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1980Highest 1 yr older than MT 1975Lowest 6 yrs older than MT

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 21 minHighest 11% above MT 19 minLowest about the MT average

Work from home 1.9%±1.7Lowest MT: 12.5% 12.1%±7Highest MT: 12.5%

Work in townworking residents 49.9%Highest 17.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 1.8 miLowest 12.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.01Highest 0.69Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Williston (4%)Billings (48%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LaurelFew work in Sidney

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.9%Lowest 6.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.8 miLowest 0.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Lowest 9Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 92.1Lowest 123Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #31 of 40 in MT #33 of 40 in MT

School district Sidney Elem · Sidney H SLaurel Elem · Laurel H S

High school in town Sidney High SchoolLaurel High School

Students per teacherat that high school 12.2Lowest 16.2Highest

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.

Sidney neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sidney’s Town Square.

Laurel neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Laurel’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sidney and Laurel

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

Towns like Sidney

+ Compare

Shelby3,216 people · $233K homes

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Hardin3,742 people · $147K homes

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Columbia Falls5,615 people · $384K homes

+ Compare

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.

Sidney vs Laurel

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $600 more a month in Laurel

Laurel places higher on 12 of 21 MT lists

What daily life feels like in each

260 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Sidney and Laurel

Towns like Sidney

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