Skip to content

TownTapestry

Find a town

Guest, Sign inJoin

Compare towns

Sunburst vs Circle

308 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (8.5× in Sunburst) and rent (2× in Sunburst).

×

Sunburst, MTAn outdoors townMontana · 301 people

×

Circle, MTA regional job hubMontana · 514 people

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.

SunburstAn outdoors town

Outdoors13.7% conserved land3.4 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Sunburst →

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 part ways

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

Sunburst has more miles of trail

Sunburst 3.4 miCircle 0.4 mi

Rent runs higher in Sunburst

Sunburst $1,094Circle $547

Street grid3.7×

Circle has the more walkable street grid

Circle 113Sunburst 30.1

Property tax bill+57%

Tax bills are bigger in Circle

Circle $2,179Sunburst $1,385

Jobs per worker+87%

Circle is more of a job hub

Circle 1.91Sunburst 1.02

Work in town+13 pts

More of Circle’s workers stay in town

Circle 33.9%Sunburst 20.9%

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $790 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.

Down paymentRate%

Sunburst$850/mo

Typical home $140K (Census) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $1,094/mo · Housing →

Circle$1,640/mo

Typical home $260K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.27% · or rent about $547/mo · Housing →

The difference: $790 a month, about $9,500 a year, between Circle and Sunburst.

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.

Schools

BSunburstBetter than 58% of districts in the state ACircleBetter than 90% of districts in the state

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

SunburstCircle

Snow a year86″—

January low10°F —

July high80°F —

Growing season (days)77d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)14th 14th

Outdoors & history

SunburstCircle

Trails3 mi 0 mi

Conserved land13.7%10%

National Register places—1

Archive photos—6

Famous people born here—2

Community

SunburstCircle

Library hours a week15 hrs 30 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

308 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SunburstMT CircleMT

Sunburst ↔ Circle308 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

SunburstCircle

People

Population 301Lowest 514Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -3.9% MT: +9.6%

Median age 42±15.4Lowest 4% above MT 46.2±12.3Highest 14% above MT

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

Kids under 18 23.6%±11.1Highest MT: 21% 16.1%±5.8Lowest MT: 21%

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

Age 65+ 17.9%±2.9Lowest MT: 20.1% 25.5%±7Highest MT: 20.1%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 29.3%Highest MT: 35.2% 25.3%Lowest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3%±4.4Highest MT: 5.2% 0%±3Lowest MT: 5.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $65,938±$11kLowest 9% below MT $75,417±$23kHighest 4% above MT

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $139,600±$29kLowest 63% below MT $171,900±$82kHighest 54% below MT

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,094±$109Highest about the MT average $547±$71Lowest 49% below MT

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,385Lowest 49% below MT $2,179Highest 19% below MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 35.7%±100Lowest MT: 44.8% 40.5%±46.6Highest MT: 44.8%

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

Below poverty line 14.6%Highest MT: 11.5% 6.3%Lowest MT: 11.5%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 86.4%Highest MT: 69.2% 84.6%Lowest MT: 69.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1963Highest 18 yrs older than MT 1958Lowest 23 yrs older than MT

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 12 minLowest 38% below MT 15 minHighest 21% below MT

Work from home 10.9%±5.2Highest MT: 12.5% 6%±4.9Lowest MT: 12.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 20.9%Lowest 33.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miLowest 46.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.02Lowest 1.91Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Sweet Grass (14%)Billings (7%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CircleFew work in Sunburst

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 13.7%Highest 10%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 3.4 miHighest 0.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.5 miHighest 0.5 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 30.1Lowest 113Highest

Schools

School district Sunburst K-12 SchoolsCircle Elem · Circle H S

High school in town Sunburst High SchoolCircle High School

Students per teacherat that high school 5.9Lowest 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.

Sunburst neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sunburst’s Town Square.

Circle neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Circle’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sunburst and Circle

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

Towns like Sunburst

Broadview175 people · $166K homes

Fromberg438 people · $213K homes

Stanford268 people · $208K homes

Lavina134 people · $129K 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.