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 →

Polson$3,330/mo

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

CSidneySafer than 31% of U.S. towns D−PolsonSafer than 4% of U.S. towns

Schools

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

Health

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

9Sidney

9Polson

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

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

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

SidneyPolson

Snow a year30″34″

January low7°F 20°F

July high87°F 83°F

Growing season (days)137d 134d

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

Outdoors & history

SidneyPolson

Trails1 mi 8 mi

Conserved land3.9%11%

Settled1911 1910

National Register places1 1

Archive photos5 6

Famous people born here8 4

Community

SidneyPolson

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

463 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SidneyMT PolsonMT

Sidney ↔ Polson463 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

SidneyPolson

People

Population 6,171Highest 5,428Lowest

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

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

Polson and Sidney 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% 20.1%±4.3Lowest MT: 21%

Sidney and Polson 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% 24.8%±3.9Highest MT: 20.1%

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

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.3%±2.7Highest MT: 5.2% 3.9%±1.9Lowest 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 $62,538±$14kHighest 14% below MT $53,418±$5kLowest 26% 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 $236,900±$20kLowest 37% below MT $356,300±$54kHighest 5% below MT

Rentmedian gross, monthly $931±$65Highest 14% below MT $912±$57Lowest 16% 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 $2,150Lowest 20% below MT $2,224Highest 17% below MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 31.4%±11.1Lowest MT: 44.8% 49.9%±8Highest 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 7.7%Lowest MT: 11.5% 17.5%Highest MT: 11.5%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 1.9%±1.7Lowest MT: 12.5% 4.9%±2.7Highest 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 49.9%Highest 42.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 1.8 miLowest 5.3 miHighest

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

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

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

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.9%Lowest 11%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.8 miLowest 7.6 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 1.6 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Lowest 8Highest

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

Schools

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

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

High school in town Sidney High SchoolPolson High School

Students per teacherat that high school 12.2Lowest 13.6Highest

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.

Polson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Polson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sidney and Polson

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

Towns like Sidney

+ Compare

Laurel7,215 people · $235K homes

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Shelby3,216 people · $233K homes

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Hardin3,742 people · $147K homes

+ Compare

Columbia Falls5,615 people · $384K 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 Polson

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 Sidney and Polson

Towns like Sidney

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