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Stanford vs Circle

218 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (2.1× in Circle) and trails (4× in Circle).

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Stanford, MTHomes around $243KMontana · 268 people
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Circle, MTA regional job hubMontana · 514 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

StanfordHomes around $243K
Housing$243K typical home48% below the MT typical home All about Stanford →
CircleA regional job hub
Work326 jobsbased in Circle, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 90%of MT districts Housing$260K typical home45% below the MT typical home All about Circle →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Property tax bill2.1×
Tax bills are bigger in Circle
Circle $2,179Stanford $1,040
Trails4×
Circle has more miles of trail
Circle 0.4 miStanford 0.1 mi
Work in town+17.8 pts
More of Circle’s workers stay in town
Circle 33.9%Stanford 16.1%
★ What stands out · 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.

Schools
BStanfordBetter than 57% of districts in the state ACircleBetter than 90% of districts in the state
Monthly cost

A typical home costs $260 more a month in Circle

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.

Stanford$1,380/mo
Typical home $243K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.50% · or rent about $850/mo · Housing →
Circle$1,640/mo
Typical home $260K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.27% · or rent about $547/mo · Housing →

The difference: $260 a month, about $3,200 a year, between Circle and Stanford.

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.

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
StanfordCircle
Snow a year45″—
January low13°F—
July high82°F—
Growing season (days)112d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)39th14th
Outdoors & history
StanfordCircle
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land3.5%10%
Settled1875—
National Register places—1
Archive photos66
Famous people born here22
Community
StanfordCircle
Library hours a week43 hrs30 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

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

218 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

StanfordMTCircleMT
Stanford ↔ Circle218 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.

StanfordCircle
People
Population 268Lowest 514Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -3.9% MT: +9.6%
Median age 49.4±20.1Highest 22% above MT 46.2±12.3Lowest 14% above MT
Stanford and Circle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21.6%±14.8Highest MT: 21% 16.1%±5.8Lowest MT: 21%
Stanford and Circle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 30.2%±7.3Highest MT: 20.1% 25.5%±7Lowest MT: 20.1%
Stanford and Circle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27.6%Highest MT: 35.2% 25.3%Lowest MT: 35.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±5.8 MT: 5.2% 0%±3 MT: 5.2%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $56,875±$19kLowest 22% below MT $75,417±$23kHighest 4% above MT
Circle and Stanford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $207,800±$55kHighest 45% below MT $171,900±$82kLowest 54% below MT
Stanford and Circle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $850±$468Highest 21% below MT $547±$71Lowest 49% below MT
Stanford and Circle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,040Lowest 61% below MT $2,179Highest 19% below MT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±100Lowest MT: 44.8% 40.5%±46.6Highest MT: 44.8%
Circle and Stanford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 14.2%Highest MT: 11.5% 6.3%Lowest MT: 11.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 85.1%Highest MT: 69.2% 84.6%Lowest MT: 69.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1954Lowest 27 yrs older than MT 1958Highest 23 yrs older than MT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 13 minLowest 30% below MT 15 minHighest 21% below MT
Work from home 7.8%±4.7Highest MT: 12.5% 6%±4.9Lowest MT: 12.5%
Stanford and Circle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 16.1%Lowest 33.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miLowest 46.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.29Lowest 1.91Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Hobson (14%)Billings (7%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CircleFew work in Stanford
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.5%Lowest 10%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 146Highest 113Lowest
Schools
School district Stanford K-12 SchoolsCircle Elem · Circle H S
High school in town Stanford High SchoolCircle High School
Students per teacherat that high school 8.4Lowest 11.2Highest
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.

Stanford neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 6d

Improving Our Little Town

1 neighbor in Stanford can answer.

Circle neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Circle’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Stanford and Circle

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

Towns like Stanford

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Lima218 people · $189K homes
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Sunburst301 people · $140K 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.

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