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%

Three Forks$3,180/mo

Typical home $557K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.57% · or rent about $1,330/mo · Housing →

Columbus$2,660/mo

Typical home $461K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $945/mo · Housing →

The difference: $530 a month, about $6,300 a year, between Three Forks and Columbus.

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

–Three ForksNot graded C−ColumbusSafer than 24% of U.S. towns

Schools

B−Three ForksBetter than 47% of districts in the state B+ColumbusBetter than 73% of districts in the state

Health

A−Three ForksHealthier than 78% of U.S. towns A−ColumbusHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns

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

Three ForksColumbus

Snow a year—48″

January low—10°F

July high—85°F

Growing season (days)—108d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)68th 74th

Outdoors & history

Three ForksColumbus

Trails1 mi 0 mi

Conserved land12.3%34.4%

National Register places7 5

Archive photos24 12

Famous people born here1 5

Community

Three ForksColumbus

Library hours a week42 hrs 51 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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

112 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Three ForksMT ColumbusMT

Three Forks ↔ Columbus112 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

Three ForksColumbus

People

Population 1,919Lowest 2,003Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.4%Highest MT: +9.6% -1.9%Lowest MT: +9.6%

Median age 41.4±17Lowest about the MT average 47.2±3.8Highest 17% above MT

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

Kids under 18 18.1%±5.9Lowest MT: 21% 19.1%±3.5Highest MT: 21%

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

Age 65+ 21.8%±5.8Lowest MT: 20.1% 27.4%±4.3Highest MT: 20.1%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21%Lowest MT: 35.2% 24%Highest MT: 35.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.3%±2.4Highest MT: 5.2% 2.2%±1.8Lowest MT: 5.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $79,784±$17kHighest 10% above MT $65,250±$17kLowest 10% below MT

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $395,800±$43kHighest 5% above MT $282,800±$24kLowest 25% below MT

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,330±$84Highest 23% above MT $945±$46Lowest 13% below MT

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,243Highest 17% below MT $1,777Lowest 34% below MT

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.3%±29.1Highest MT: 44.8% 34.4%±16.8Lowest MT: 44.8%

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

Below poverty line 6.2%Lowest MT: 11.5% 11%Highest MT: 11.5%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 73.2%Lowest MT: 69.2% 76.7%Highest MT: 69.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1985Highest 4 yrs newer than MT 1969Lowest 12 yrs older than MT

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 26% above MT 27 minHighest 41% above MT

Work from home 9%±7.3Highest MT: 12.5% 5.4%±2.8Lowest MT: 12.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 11.3%Lowest 35.8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 26.8 miHighest 23.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.63Lowest 1.75Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Bozeman (21%)Billings (19%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ColumbusFew work in Three Forks

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 12.3%Lowest 34.4%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.5 miHighest 0.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 mi 0.3 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 100Highest 99.3Lowest

Schools

School district Three Forks Elem · Three Forks H SColumbus Elem · Columbus H S

High school in town Three Forks High SchoolColumbus High School

Students per teacherat that high school 18.6Highest 15.8Lowest

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.

Three Forks neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Three Forks’s Town Square.

Columbus neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Feeling at Home in Columbus

1 neighbor in Columbus can answer.

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Towns like Three Forks

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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.

Three Forks vs Columbus

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $530 more a month in Three Forks

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

112 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Feeling at Home in Columbus

Set another town beside Three Forks and Columbus

Towns like Three Forks

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